End of the Universe
by The Pen Vs The Sword
Summary: Iblis has destroyed the world. Silver's last chance to save it is to travel across dimensions, across universes, in a last desperate attempt to save the kingdom from a fiery apocalypse. Silver/Blaze.
1. Chapter 1: A Dead World

**A/N:** Good morning, everyone! Or afternoon or evening!

 **Sword:** *tingles with excitement*

We've had this story on the backburner for some time. It's a bit of an experiment for us. Hopefully it works as we would like to give all of you a good story. Sword?

 **Sword:** Silver, Blaze, and all related material belong to Sega. The story, me, and Pen belong to the author. Please do not use without permission. Thank you! Move it! On with it!

What's got you so excited?

 **Sword:** Pen and me are building something to go along with this story. Speaking of, I better go find him. *walks off*

Oh, that's nice…Wait, you _and_ Pen? Sword? Sword! Come back!

 **Chapter 1- A Dead World**

Fire. Fire and screaming. Every night, when I close my eyes, that's all I see. The same nightmare, surrounded by terrified people, running for their lives from chaos and destruction. Sometimes, I see my parents in the crowd, or friends I've known forever, all of us fleeing our village. Other times, it's strangers and I'm caught up in the rush as they barrel toward the capital's gate, hoping that the mighty walls and tall towers meant to protect them don't crumble and bury them in a pile of rubble.

Always, I'm focused on moving forward. There's nothing ahead but a desolate wasteland of trees burnt to ash, craggy valleys that used to be rivers and lakes, and a blood-red sky. I don't pay attention to the smell of bodies engulfed in flames or the desperate cries of people pleading for mercy. Anyone who falls and isn't trampled is left behind for the inevitable.

Every time, I'm always the last one running, the last one alive, and my legs give out as if they're about to snap off. I collapse, my chest cold like it's frozen solid despite the unbearable heat all around.

Then a demonic roar behind me. I turn and there are a pair of eyes, red pits of fire and hate, rushing toward me with a maw open wide and about to swallow me whole.

And I wake up. My bed soaked in sweat and I sit on the edge of the old, moth-eaten mattress until sunrise.

I think the reason why dreams like mine are called nightmares is because we have no control. Any scenario you can imagine—falling through the sky, chased by a maniac, a monster stalking you—one thing in common is that you have no control. You can't turn around and do something about it. I can't stop and save my parents and friends. I can't try a different tactic and hide from my pursuer. I can't even turn around and fight.

No, our brain tells us we're scared and that all we can do is flail and run for our lives from whatever horror it's picked to scare us with. All we can hope for is that the conscious part of our brain steps in and wakes us up to realize it was a bad dream before we're driven insane with fear.

Realizing it's all a dream would be comforting if when I woke each morning, the sun didn't rise on the hellish landscape from the dream. But there it is outside my window today, just like it is every day. Hot wind like a desert rolls in, blasting my face with dust, and its barely morning.

I stood and stretched, then trotted down the stairs to the kitchen. Calling it a kitchen was being generous. A pantry stuffed with canned food, meat kept in a freezer, and an old sink and stove. Brain still struggling to escape dreamland, I heated a can of vegetables on the stove, dumped them in a bowl on the table, and ate in the dark. We had to conserve all the electricity and candles we could afford.

Gardon stumbled in next, cracking his back and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Age was taking his toll on him. The short koala seemed to age twice as fast before my eyes everyday, although he wasn't _that_ much older. Then again, this world sapped the life and years out of you.

Even with a stoop to his back, Gardon walked in the same military fashion he had for years, never losing that stride. He heated up some vegetables as well and sat across from me. "Morning," he said, digging into his food.

Dr. Eggman Nega was the last to come down after we finished. He was a man as round as he was tall, with grey whiskers and cold, beady eyes staring down a red nose. He grumbled to himself, ransacked whatever old food he could find, and plopped beside us.

"So," Gardon said, prompting him.

"So," Nega said, swallowing a bite and wiping his mouth, "This morning, my drones located the last crucial piece. A battery to power the machine." He pulled a tiny robot out of his deep coat pocket. It looked like a smooth, hand-sized cannonball in the dark. He pressed a button on top of it and the drone displayed a blue holographic map of the surrounding area. "Here," Nega said, swiping upwards on the map and pointing to a large object. "One of my old ships. 30 kilometers north of here."

"That's not too bad," Gardon said.

"No more trips after this?" I raised an eyebrow.

"That's right," Nega said, shoveling another forkful in. "I can create all the other pieces I need. I just need this battery and we'll have enough power to run it."

"How large is it? Be precise," I said. "Last time, we barely made it back. If Iblis had been on us—"

"It's small," Nega said. "About the size of your head, hedgehog, and filled with something useful for a change." I frowned and dumped my bowl in the sink. "It's light enough too. But it holds a massive charge."

"How will we power it up? Surely it can't have any power after this long."

"I can rig it to the generator," he said. "Should take one night."

"We already take enough risks with the buggy. But a whole night of advertising our home?" I said. That was the other reason we conserved power. Moving around outside and using energy was one thing. We always had home to come back to and hide out. Yet if Iblis took notice—I shuddered and brushed the thought from my mind.

"I can run the generator on low power," Nega said. "Maybe I can scrounge around nearby and build something to muffle its energy output."

I looked to Gardon, but he shrugged. "It's our best shot."

* * *

Two hours later, Gardon and I were in the steel trap buggy of death that rumbled like it would fall apart going over any hill. We probably could've walked or I could've flown us, but I wanted to be in and out quickly. That and I didn't trust Nega's estimates of the battery. Hot, harsh wind blew sand in our faces, making us grateful for the thick clothes wrapped around our heads and bodies and our sturdy goggles.

In the distance, I could just make out the ruins of a village. A broken tower was toppled over and several homes were smashed to bits. It reminded of my own village, before all this happened. A towering mill on the edge of town, the market street where every morning the town sprung to life as shops opened—

"We're here," Gardon said and we pulled alongside a crashed airship, as large as if a mountain had topped over. We stopped in front of a mammoth-sized hole, already filled with sand piles. We hopped out of the buggy and climbed in. When we had escaped the sandy winds, we loosened our cloaks and lifted out goggles.

We flipped on our flashlights and Gardon pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Okay, where is it?"

"Lowest floor, port side. You'll see a room with a lot of engines," Nega's voice said. "The battery may be in one of them. It's a cylinder with a blue handle."

"Got it," he said. He pulled out a small tracking device that Nega had locked onto the battery's coordinates, with a flashing red light at the top of the screen beeping softly. Letting the light lead, we marched forth.

As we searched for a ladder or other way down to the first floor, Gardon tried to make small talk. "Sure will be great to be back again." I hummed a response. I wasn't in the mood to discuss it, but Gardon continued. "I wonder if the Princess will still want me as Captain of the Guards?" he said.

We found a hatch and I opened it, letting him down. "I know I've been out of it for these past ten years, but I'd say I've kept fit. Wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah." The ladder ended on the second floor. Maybe there was another ladder at the end of this new hall.

"What about you?" he asked. "Going to go back to your village?"

"I don't know," I said, opening a door. Storage closet. I sighed, irritated and still sleepy. All these doors looked the same.

"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" he asked. "Don't you want to see your family again?"

"Except it's not my family!" I snapped. He recoiled and I grunted, shutting the door. "We're going to another dimension, not back in time. There's already another me with his own family. There's already another you already protecting the Princess."

"Silver," he said, laying a hand on my shoulder. "It's still another chance to have a home."

"I know," I said, checking another door. Bingo. The ladder. Gardon held me back and I sighed. "I know. But I wish we could fix all this. I wanted to stay here, fight, rebuild. Not run away. The best thing we can do in another dimension is live like hermits."

"We can have a good life," Gardon said. "Maybe travel the world, see other cities and exotic places. That doesn't sound so bad, does it?" If I was being honest with myself, it didn't. It sounded like a vacation. Perhaps even another chance at an ordinary life. Gardon held his flashlight closer and his face grew serious. "And we owe it to everyone else to warn them and help them avoid our fate."

"Yeah," I said, climbing down the ladder.

"I know I would do it for the Princess, even if she's technically not my Princess," he said, following me. "Wouldn't you do the same for your parents, whether they're yours or belong to another version of you?"

I stopped, shaking away the nightmare from this morning. "You're getting too philosophical for me."

"Perhaps. But that doesn't answer my question."

"Of course I would. That's the only reason I agreed to Nega's plan is to warn everyone else. Now let's find this battery."

Gardon smiled. "There's the spirit."

"Are you two finished chatting yet?" Nega said. Gardon sheepishly removed his finger from the call button. "Don't tarry out there."

"I do have one more question, Nega" I said, sweeping my beam down the hall. "I'm still not clear on how this whole dimension-hopping thing works." A rat skittered past us. "You said it was the Multiverse Theory?"

Nega grumbled and something metal _tinged_ in the background. He swore and I was sure he said something about "stupid hedgehog" under his breath. "I've explained this already."

"You're not doing anything constructive."

"As a matter of fact, I am, rodent."

"Humor us," Gardon said. "I'd like a refresher too."

"Alright, alright," Nega said, setting down some tool. "So, theoretically, there are multiple universes, okay?"

"Other dimensions of us," Gardon said.

"Right. There are many universes with many possibilities, many timelines. These universes are always splitting when any decision is made. So in one universe, if you decide to have coffee for breakfast, then in another universe, you'll have tea."

"And if in one universe you release Iblis, in another universe, you won't," I finished.

"Correct," Nega said with an edge to his tone. "So there are universes where I never released Iblis and others where I did, but the day was saved one way or another. Once I have the battery and have charged my machine and calculated it, we can travel to an earlier universe still behind us, where Iblis is set to be released, but hasn't been yet. And we can prevent it from being released, thereby stopping it from destroying the world. This should spread to universes that split off from it, creating more universes where the world is saved. I wonder if it could have a ripple effect across universes already split from it," he said, musing to himself. "Or similar universes."

"But I thought you said we couldn't time-travel," I said, heading down a corridor. The sand hadn't reached this area yet, but it was hot and stuffy. "So how can we travel to an earlier universe?"

"Because the universes are splitting constantly. While ours continues to go on, others are being born every second. So there are still ones prior to Iblis that can be saved."

"But it won't save ours."

"No," Nega said, grunting and another _ting_ echoed on his end. "No, it won't. Why? Having second thoughts about this suicidal plan? It's not too late to go to a safe universe."

"No," I said. "No, we're doing this. If we can save anyone from our fate, we're doing it."

"Suit yourself. Like I said, it's still a theory, so it may not work anyway."

"Well, we'll find your battery and put it to the test. Silver out."

We finally found the engine room and opened the door. Large machines a floor below us stretched for the stairwell we were on. In each direction, my light disappeared into empty darkness.

Gardon waved the tracker around and pointed to our left. "This way," he said. The stairs were long and I didn't trust his legs. I raised my hand and light glowed in the palm of my white glove, brightening into circular designs. Soon, Gardon and I were outlined in a teal glow and hovered in the air. "Wha?" he said and I smiled. I carried us over the stair railing and down to the floor in the row between all the machines.

When we landed, Gardon stumbled forward and shot me a dirty look. "I hate it when you do that."

"You have to stop and take pleasure in the little things," I said, helping him up. "Come on. Let's find that battery."

I should've been excited to find this battery. It was the last piece and then we would be out of this horrible place. However, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Nega. He had found us almost a year ago and had begged for forgiveness, wanting to make amends. Hence his time—sorry, universe traveling machine and willingness to help stop himself in the other timeline.

He hadn't done anything bad that I could put my finger on. He could have a short fuse, but who didn't when you're one of the last people left alive. And he was helpful, providing us with plenty of gadgets, such as the buggy, and helping with some amenities, like electricity and clean running water.

There was still something wrong though. Maybe it was that I couldn't stop reminding myself that this was his fault. Or that even before Iblis, I often heard stories of his evil. Gardon confirmed most of those stories. "Yes, he often attacked our country and sought to take it over. But what's there to take over now?" True words, but they didn't help.

I shoved the thought aside. Had to find the battery. We scoured the machines, climbing into their innards and pulling apart rusted bits of metal and gears, frayed wires, computer circuits, and Nega only knew what else. We finally found it in one of the smaller machines. I dusted it off and brought it into the light.

"Cylindrical," Gardon noted.

"With a blue handle," I said, hefting it up.

Gardon pulled out the walkie-talkie. "Nega, we got it."

"Then hurry up. Time's wasting," he said.

I tucked the battery into a pocket in the folds of my clothes. " 'Thanks for the congratulations, Nega,' " I said, then puffed my cheeks and harrumphed with my chest out. " 'Yes, couldn't have done it without you two. Really couldn't since I never stick my neck out and am too fat to leave home.' "

"Come on. Let's just get back to the buggy," Gardon said. Although he tried to hide his curled lips.

We floated back to the top of the stairs and had one foot out of the room when we heard it. A low, trembling roar in front of us. A demonic roar that sent me into a cold sweat as if I was back in my nightmare.

Gardon licked his lips and named my fear in a whisper. "Iblis."

 **A/N:** Hm, this was a bit shorter than I thought.

 **Pen:** *rolls eyes* Oh, no. Could the story possibly go off the rails? Like all of the stories you two write?

 **Sword:** Yes! And we will ride it to the ground.

Uh, let's not. And I still want to know what you two are building.

 **Sword:** It's a surprise! Oh, also, thank all you peoples for reading! We hope you enjoy it so far! Please let us know what you think of the story. Ta-ta!


	2. Chapter 2: One-Way Trip

**A/N:** Sword? Sword? Where are you?

 **Sword:** *opens door as sparks fly out behind her* Yes?

It's time for the next chapter. What are you doing?

 **Sword:** Building with Pen. Excuse me. *shuts the door and locks it*

Hey! You open this door right now! You better not be building something dangerous! Sword! Pen!...Well, while I find a crowbar, let's get on with it, shall we? Silver and all related material belongs to Sega. The story, Sword, and Pen belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Thank you and please enjoy.

 **Chapter 2- One-Way Trip**

Gardon and I ran as fast as our feet could carry us. And when that wasn't fast enough and he started to slow down, I lassoed him in a green glow that surrounded us and tethered us together. Then I shot forward, through the halls and up the ladders, dragging him behind me. All the while, the roar grew closer, chilling my blood even in the wasteland heat.

Gardon reported to Nega. "We got a problem."

Nega seemed to pick up on it before he even explained further. "Then get out of there."

When we stumbled to the hole where we first entered the ship, we paused. The booming cries pulsed through the ship's hull, shaking the floor, and seemed to come from all around us. I poked my head outside, searching the skies, but finding nothing. The buggy was right there. We could make a break for it.

But then Gardon and I realized something. The wind had died down. It was silent, like the eye of a storm, and sand no longer blurred our vision. In fact, I could see the ship from bow to stern in all its rusted black and red glory and the old, long-defunct guns atop the deck, pointing to the sky, as if warning us of the cause.

Iblis was right over us.

For all we knew, he was watching the hole now. I cocked an ear, listening for any sound. Nothing. No heavy body stomping around, nothing flying through the air. Just still and utter silence.

"I don't like it," Gardon said.

"Me neither," I said, agreeing. I crouched low near the opening. "I got an idea. Be ready to run to the buggy when I say."

"Silver," he said, grabbing my arm. "What are you planning?"

"Trust me." I formed a ball of glowing teal energy in my hand, letting it build to the size of my head. I flung it up and out of the hole, directing it with my finger to the sky, then immediately west, following the ship's lining. Then we waited for a few minutes.

Nothing.

"I know you're out there," I said. I created several more balls, larger this time, and covered myself in a glow as well. "Count to five as soon as I leave," I said, letting the balls stretch to my height and bulge out into body shapes, "then run for the buggy."

"Silver," Gardon said, but I was already out, surrounded by my teal shadows. I floated into the air, passing the ship's deck, and found nothing. No sign of any disturbance in the distance or on top of the ship.

I had a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach that Iblis was behind the ship. Or maybe it had entered the ship and was waiting to burst out at us. Either way, I was blind.

I shot my doppelgangers in an arc ahead of me, all heading off in different directions except for the buggy. I joined them, heading over the ship. Nothing on the other side. Where was this thing?

My teal shadows were getting further away and it was harder to maintain their form. Come on, take the bait. Where was it? One shadow blinked out of existence. Come on! Take. The. Bait!

A great rumbling echoed behind me. I zipped back to the ship. Gardon was standing several feet from the buggy, trying to keep his balance as the earth shook. The sand rippled and shifted loose a gigantic claw made of glowing red lava and molten rock, shaping long, thin fingers that snatched the buggy into its sinkhole, setting it aflame with one touch.

Iblis.

"Gardon!" I swooped down and hoisted him high into the sky, again tethering him to me by a cord of light. He screamed at the top of his lungs and any other time, I would've laughed. But I was trying not to look back as we sped away.

The roar was louder now, piercing my skull and a sound like an explosion showered us in sand like a geyser. Large heavy rocks and boulders from deep underground fell short of us, thumping into the sand. "Silver!" Gardon yelled. I didn't want to look back, afraid I would be paralyzed. "Silver!"

I looked and immediately regretted it.

Rising into the sky like a crimson demon was the very creature of my nightmares. Charred black rock and dripping lava meshed together into an unholy serpent, with green glowing eyes, and an extra on his forehead, not firey pits like my dream. If anything, these were worse, as the pupils were slits that could hold one in place, terrified to fight back and leaving them weak and at the mercy of this monster. Long mandibles like tusks spread wide as he emitted another deafening cry, lobbing a hot ball of fire at us.

"Hurry!" Gardon said.

I raced forward, willing my body to move as fast it could go. But the _whoosh_ of Iblis closed in behind us. It would catch up to us soon enough and swallow us whole, if we weren't burned to a crisp first.

I built up a large teal blast in my hand and threw it backwards. It struck Iblis' head harmlessly. "The eye!" Gardon said. "Aim for the eye!"

"I can't aim and run at the same time!" I tried again. Hit his maw instead. Then he launched another fireball and I had an idea. I concentrated, pushing against the fireball's arc, which slowed me down. Iblis was catching up. I had to act quickly.

Using all my strength, I shoved the fireball back into Iblis' face. It exploded, flinging us backwards and to the side. The battery fell out of my clothes. I dove for it, but Gardon swung forward, catching it by the handle. "Got it!"

Iblis passed within feet of us, crashing into the ground. Of course, I wasn't naïve enough to hope he was out for the count. As soon as I fled, he rumbled and belched more fire at us. I dodged, zigging and zagging through the shots. Gardon swung back and forth below me, somehow keeping a tight hold of the battery.

But we were both tired and wouldn't last much longer like this. It was taking all I had to hold Gardon and myself in the air and I was slowing. The doppelgangers, the fireball, and all this running had really drained me. Iblis was up now and coming after us full force, hate in its eyes. We needed more speed.

As if on cue, Nega arrived in a small ship, armed with gun barrels on the wings. "Out of the way!" he said over a speaker. We dipped below the aircraft and he hovered, waiting to meet Iblis head-on. His barrels primed, clicking as they loaded their rounds.

Iblis roared, opening his jaw wide to consume Nega. But Nega unleashed salvo after salvo of rockets and machine gunfire. The rockets exploded in Iblis' face and the monster turned its head side to side as they blew off chunks of rock and blobs of lava. The machine guns peppered his eyes and forehead, chipping at the stone and his eyes and Nega pulled to the side.

Iblis flew low, but didn't crash. It shook its head and the rock and lava regrew slowly, forming its ugly face in full.

Above us, Nega opened the loading ramp of his ship. "Come on!" he shouted, holding position. He reached out his hand.

I couldn't lift Gardon. I didn't have the strength. Below, Iblis growled and chomped at the bit. "Stop screwing around!" Nega stepped out further, holding onto the ceiling. "Throw me the battery before you drop it!"

Gardon was dangling in the air at his waist, his limbs swinging below. Each time he moved, the battery seemed like it might fall but he held on. Couldn't let either of them fall. I tried to raise higher, but we were too far away. My grip was slipping. I had to get Gardon in the ship fast.

"Come on!"

I watched Gardon swing around in circles and had an idea. Grabbing hold of our line, I swung him back and forth, back and forth. That's it. Back and forth, back and forth. Higher and higher, Gardon rose as Iblis started to regain himself. Nega stretched as far as he could, fingers grasping for Gardon's.

Almost there. Iblis snorted, breathing fire from his mouth. Nega grabbed the handle of the battery and yanked hard, pulling Gardon to safety. They tumbled back into the ship and I jerked forward, now swinging from the end of the line.

Below, Iblis spotted us, and snarled and roared at me. The teal tether was starting to fade in and out and my vision dimmed. "Guys?" I shouted.

"Silver! Hold on!" Gardon said from above.

"Like I would do anything else?!" Yelling didn't help my vision.

"Pull him up!" Nega said. "I'll get us out of here!"

Gardon pulled and I climbed slowly. Hand over hand, every inch a struggle. Nega turned the plane around, firing another series of blasts and gunfire at Iblis. But it was onto Nega and sashayed around the bullets and rockets, whipping his body side to side as the guns missed.

Iblis shot a fireball in return and the ship banked hard to the right and took off. I held on for dear life, swaying in the wind like a kite attached to, well, Iblis. The serpent chased us, snapping at our heels. Or more specifically, _my_ heels.

Gardon tugged at the fading cord, reeling me in. Iblis came high, biting at the ship and Nega dove low. Sweeping ahead of us, Iblis cut Nega off and he veered a sharp left. My legs were inches from Iblis' jaws and my boots felt like they were on fire just being near him.

Nega took us low again, dipping under Iblis' tail. He stopped short, missing a fireball, but I continued falling to the ship, crashing into Gardon and both of us tumbling toward the cockpit.

"What the devil?" Nega said and shook his fist. "Sit down and stay out of my way!" He closed the loading ramp and flipped a switch. "Let's see you handle this, you overgrown lizard." He pressed a red button and something large dropped from the ship on Iblis' tail.

Nega flipped another switch and we zoomed off as a thunderous boom rattled the whole ship. "Should take care of him," he said.

"I think all you did is upset it more," Gardon said. "Now it's really going to try to find us."

"It's just a mindless beast," he said. "It'll forget about us in time. Trust me."

"Trust the same guy who thought he could tame it that it won't be upset and out for blood?" I said. "Right."

"Hey, who pulled your mangy tail out of the fire?" he said, rounding on me. "Be grateful I managed to do so. I've been working on this bucket of bolts for weeks. I wasn't even sure it would fly yet. Who knows what would've happened if it hadn't?"

"Yeah," I said, looking at the battery on the console in front of Nega as he turned around. It was within his arm's reach and behind his dark glasses, his eyes cut to it now and then. "I wonder."

* * *

When we arrived home, Nega immediately went to work on his machine in the living room-workshop area. His dimension-hopping machine was quite the sight. It was a large steel basin on a stem and platform, with a frame cradling it, like a many-fingered hand swilling a goblet of wine. The center, where the portal to the other universe was supposed to appear when the machine was powered and calibrated, could only be seen from a scaffold Nega had built. He had added a catwalk that stretched over the top and around the machine to lower himself inside the basin when he needed to tinker with it. At the moment, he had a panel open on the bottom of the basin, poking tools into the circuitry. Sparks flew in his face and on the battery at his feet.

Gardon was in his room, supposedly sleeping. But when I checked on him, he was by the window, gazing at the setting sun in the distance. I welcomed the night, as I think we all did. Not only was it a chance for us to rest, but for a while, it hid the decaying world.

I sat next to him, leaning against the sill. The red rays gave a bit of life to his cheeks and he breathed deep. "Nega says tomorrow it should be ready."

"Good," I said. I waited a few minutes. "You know, I've been thinking about what you said. About exploring the world and all?"

"Yes?"

"Well, before all this, my parents had wanted to move to Mede's Bay."

"The port city?"

"The same," I said. "They were afraid of all the rumors about Nega and Iblis. Anyway, since they didn't, I figure we could go there. Find a place to live, save up our money, then hire a ship to sail the world."

"Sounds like a plan," Gardon said, smiling. "I could get a job a playing the violin, then keep it up as we hit country after country, making some coin here and there."

"Oh, right, I remember you mentioning you used to play."

"Yes," he said. "If I hadn't been a guard, I would've done that. I still practiced back at the castle. Had a nice, hand-crafted violin that my grandfather carved for me out of sturdy oak. Light as a feather and the sweetest sound to it too."

"And you carved yours and your first girlfriend's initials in it. 'G and P'."

"Right," he said. "Gardon and Paige." He gave a wistful sigh and looked off fondly into a distant dream, then rejoined reality a minute later. "I could save up some coin for a cheap one."

"That could work. Guess I could find some odd jobs around," I said.

"Before we leave, I would like to visit the capital one last time. If only to see everyone. You've been there before, right?"

"Once. Years ago when I was small," I said. I barely remembered it except that it was big. Then again, I was only a foot high then.

"You should see it now. Largest city you'll ever come across. And whatever you want, you can find it there. Some of the shops and the fountain and the sculptures in the city, well, I don't want to spoil it for you. And we could try to see the castle gardens too when we warn the Princess. You've never seen such a garden."

"I'll be happy enough to see _any_ grass," I said, noting the dirt below.

"The castle itself is magnificent. So many rooms, so much history. The sword of the founder of the nation is still on display—"

"—In the throne room," we both said.

He shook his head. "Oh, so you've heard this before, have you? Smug hedgehog. I suppose you don't want to hear the rest then. Since you already know it all."

"No, no," I said. "Go ahead. Tell me. I want to hear it." In truth, I can't count how many times he told me about the capital and the castle and everything to do with them. I could probably walk the castle blindfolded after all his re-tellings. As he went on about the artifacts and treasures from ancestors and other nations and wars long past in the castle, and the tapestries depicting the rise and fall of kings and queens through the centuries, and the highly furnished armory and trained guards, and the lavish banquets, his eyes sparkled and glowed in nostalgia. I waited with a small grin for the grand finale about the Princess.

"And the Princess," he said, his voice in awe. There it is. "Princess Blaze. You've never met anyone like her. And I don't only mean the fire powers you've heard about. Her powers are impressive and quite the sight. Yet she also delivers firm and fair justice, always using her wisdom and that of her advisors to make the right choice on matters of the kingdom. But I saw a side often not seen by people. She doesn't show it to most and tries to downplay it, makes no notice of it, but she's always seeking to help those in need, the unfortunate, the downtrodden, the isolated and cursed ones of society. She offers them charity and kindness to the lowliest."

"Sounds like a just and caring Princess," I said.

"The definition of justice and care. Not to mention elegant and beautiful as well. I'm not lying when I say I've fended off a good number of suitors." He laughed, slapping his knee as if recalling several crazy stories. "Make sure you're not one of them when we meet her."

I shook my head. "I'll try my best."

"I mean it. Because she was as fierce as I was. Sometimes worse to the pushy ones!" He laughed harder. "I remember one wouldn't stop pestering her and she told him that if he came back, she would drag him to the highest tower and throw him from it."

"Sounds pretty cold," I said. "What did she do to the next one?" I pointed my finger like a gun. "Burn him to a crisp?"

"Believe me, the guy had it coming to him. But it was an empty threat. She didn't have the heart for it. Or the stomach for the height."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I probably shouldn't tell," he said, scratching his cheek, then shrugged off any hesitation. "Princess Blaze was afraid of heights."

"Really? That's a new one on me," I said.

"Yeah. She had been since she was a child. Nearly fell out a window once. I caught her by her foot and she screamed, absolutely terrified even when I pulled her back in. Only way I could get her to calm down was by grabbing some of her favorite flower, Rock Rose, in a nearby vase for her. Helped sooth her. But since then, she avoids high places if she can."

"Who would've guessed?" I said.

"Yeah." He settled down and his face grew contemplative. "Maybe I'm over exaggerating her a little. Rose-tinted memories. Then again, anything is rose-tinted compared to this world."

"Agreed," I said, grateful the sun finally set and darkness covered the land.

"However, one thing that could never be said about the Princess was that she didn't put her people first. She went out and fought if need be and wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty or her face bloodied for their sake. Whatever her faults, however difficult meeting her standards, she was a great ruler." He sighed and looked at me. "I can't wait for you to meet her."

"I can't wait either," I said. "She sounds like an amazing woman."

Nega poked his head in. "Everything's set up. Battery's installed and charging on the generator. Should be ready at first light."

"We'd better get to bed then," Gardon said and swung his legs onto the floor and sat on his bed.

"By the way, there's something I should mention. Traveling to another universe could be rough physically. We're essentially ripping a hole in dimensions, so who knows what could happen."

"That doesn't exactly fill me with hope," I said.

"In theory, we should be fine as long as we don't have any bad injuries. I can try to compensate for it, but not much. Here, I'll give you a once-over. Maybe we could add some sort of padding to any area." He bent beside Gardon, turning his head this way and that, prying open his eyes, digging a finger in the tufts of fur in his ears and pushing hair aside. "Anything happen today? Any bruises, cuts, concussions, blurry vision, pain anywhere?"

"No more than the usual," Gardon said.

Satisfied, he turned to me and I raised my hands before he could touch me. "I'm fine."

"Okay," he said. "And remember, we have to be inconspicuous while in this other universe. We can't draw too much attention to ourselves or let onto where we're from to those outside of the castle. We get in and get out, leaving no room to mess with anything else. Also, we can't alter the past too much, as don't know what would result. Maybe nothing, maybe disastrous consequences worse than Iblis. Again, in theory." We nodded. "Should we go over our roles once more?"

"I'll be watching the castle gardens for any of your robots sneaking in," I said.

"I'll warn the Princess about the Sol Emerald's theft and convince her that she needs to tighten security," Gardon said. "Should be easy with the other me there. Could probably get him to help," he said with a chuckle, then added, "And you?"

"I'll be hiding out in town to warn you of my other self's incoming attack," Nega said. "I'll disable what robots I can. Hopefully turn them to our side."

"I still don't see why we can't arrive sooner," I said. "Give them more time to prepare."

"We do that and we risk exposing ourselves or altering the timeline further. We have to make sure the attempted theft happens and fails."

"Right," I said, still unconvinced. How much could we really change anyway? "And you're sure your machine will work?"

"It should. Again—"

"In theory. We got it."

"Good. See you in the morning." And he left.

Alone once more, I rubbed my chin, dreading the trip. "I wish we could test it somehow."

"So do I. But once something goes through, the portal closes. It's a one-way trip."

"Yeah," I said and moved to the door. "Probably for the best. I'd hate for anyone to accidentally end up here."

"True. Good night," Gardon said as I left too.

"Good night," and I shut his door. I headed to my room across from Nega's. I lingered in the hall until Nega entered his room and shut his door. I couldn't shake that anxious feeling that he was up to something.

In the end, I couldn't fall asleep in my bed, so I grabbed the small pillow and tattered blanket and slept near the machine. Brief worries about my health from sleeping near high-powered electronics aside, I slumbered soundly until early morning.

 _Clang._ Something jottled me awake and I grabbed clumpfuls of the dirt floor. I peered sleepy into the darkness, but didn't see anyone. I threw up an orb of light to cast the room in a low glow. Nothing moved. What had it been? A rat?

As I stood, I sensed someone behind me. I spun around as a large wrench cracked me over the head and I blacked out.

 **A/N:** *brings out a chainsaw* Sword, open that door right now! *the door swings wide open* Uh, what's going on?

 **Sword:** It's finished! Look, look, look!

*walks in* Oh, crap.

 **Sword:** *gasps* Oh, people! All done reading the chapter? Great! You can come see too! Wait. *grins wickedly* We'll save this surprise for the next chapter. Please be sure to let us know what you think of the story so far. And thank you so very wery much for reading it! Byesies!


	3. Chapter 3: Back in Time

**A/N:**

 **Sword:** So? What do you think of our machine?

It's, uh, looks like an old Dell laptop.

 **Pen:** It will allow you to travel into the past or future.

Wait a minute, wait a minute. Are you telling me you two built a _time machine_ …out of a Dell?

 **Sword:** Yeah! Let me show you how it works. Pen, can you take care of our guests?

 **Pen:** They're not my guests. Fine, all of you, stay quiet and read the story if you want. Or don't. But stay quiet or I will throw you out. Silver and all related material belongs to Sega. The story, Sword, and myself belong to the author, who I'm sure would tell you to please not use any of this without his permission. And I'm sure he would also say thank you to firewaterwarriorKats, MissMJS, Linkest Link, and SaltwaterJanuary for their reviews. And to SaltwaterJanuary, you would have to enable PM function before the author could contact you about your request.

Okay, where's the Tylenol and a hammer?

 **Sword:** Hey! You are not smashing it up! Quick, let's get out of here and back to the past!

 **Chapter 3- Back in Time**

"Need to adjust the date a little." _Clang!_ I pricked my ears and blinked, everything a blur. "Work you blasted thing!" _Clang!_ _Ferwoom!_ Something sucked the air out of the room momentarily, then exploded air outward, filling our entire home with electricity and power. "Excellent."

I shifted and tried to sit up, but my hands were tied behind my back and feet roped together, so I rolled over. "Oh, you're up?" Nega said from the catwalk, somewhat surprised. He had thrown his old, faded red coat over himself. The dull, golden buttons that were still attached to it were done up, but with the ends of the coat in shreds, it was like he had clothed himself in dirty, dusty rags. "You must have a pretty thick head."

"What are you doing?" That was when I noticed the machine and blue-white light brimming out of the basin. The portal was open.

"I'm sure you can put two and two together," Nega said, climbing down from the catwalk and onto the scaffolding. He bent over a console, adjusting various dials that caused the watery light from the basin to ebb and flow around the room.

"You're planning to leave without us!" I said. I concentrated my power on my bonds, undoing the knots for my hands slowly and quietly. "To save yourself!"

"Still only seeing half the picture," he said, turning to the basin and smiling. "I know you have a partial brain in there, but you really should use what you do have."

"We all wanted a better life, another chance," I said and then it dawned on me. Another chance. "You're going to release Iblis again."

"Bingo, my silver little rodent," he said.

"Are you insane? He destroyed the world and you want to try again?"

"I've learned from my mistakes," he said. "I see where the folly in my plan was last time. I needed more power to control it." He talked more to himself than to me, mumbling as he watched the basin hungrily. That was fine by me. I tugged at the knots faster, freeing one hand behind my back and half-listening to his ramblings. "Soon, I'll have it. Yes, more power for that beast."

Before I finished, a gun barrel tilted my chin up into empty black eyes. "Gardon?" The koala didn't respond, only shook his head and cocked the gun. I released the ropes. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing much," Nega said. "Planted a little bug on him that conforms to my brain waves. Basically, I control him."

"You heartless monster," I said. "Don't you care that you'll kill everyone?"

"Not when Iblis is under my control," he said. "Then I'll rule everyone." Outside in the distance, a rumbling screech sent me into a panic. "Speaking of which," Nega said, leering at me, the electricity from the portal crackling and snapping in his sunglasses' reflection. "I've learned how to attract Iblis quite well."

He was right. All that power was like ringing a dinner bell and Iblis would storm the place. "Can't have you following me after all," Nega said. "Have to keep an eye on you little miscreants until Iblis handles you. Besides, I've never seen Iblis kill up close before. I'm curious how he'll choose. Burning you to a crisp or will he just swallow you whole? Or perhaps crush you underfoot?"

I searched for anything to help and finally saw it. When the portal belched an especially large amount of force as the power built, the scaffold rumbled, its screws shaking. Focusing, I undid one screw, twisting it out as fast as I could and keeping my glowing hands out of sight. The screw fell and Gardon and Nega were none the wiser. I held the scaffold in place, making sure it didn't move until the right time, and started on the next screw.

Nega couldn't hear the squeaking screws over the booming machine and the roars mixed in as Iblis approached. He was too busy basking in his victory. "You'll pay for this," I said, keeping up appearances and pretending to struggle. Gardon stood at the ready, gun trained on my chest, and Nega laughed to himself, shaking his head.

"Look at it this way. I'm offering you two mercy," he said, leaning on the scaffolding and looking off into the distance. "You helped me, so it's better to die quick than scurry like rats, living off whatever you find and never knowing when today will be your last day."

"Iblis could kill you too." I was on the last screw. A few more turns.

"No, because I'm going to head off now," he said, turning away as the roars were close enough to make the house shudder. "Take care."

"Have a nice trip," I said. The last screw popped out and I released my hold on the scaffold. It collapsed to one side and Nega latched onto the lip of his portal. Unable to take the sudden weight and the scaffold collapsing on it, the basin rocked back and forth, tumbling down the side, barely hanging on by cables and wires sticking out of the base. Nega screamed and was drowned out by Iblis.

The basin fell onto its end and I didn't hear Nega anymore. I flipped around and Gardon blinked, holding his forehead as if he recently work up. "Silver?" he asked, falling to his hands and knees. He saw the gun, the portal, and heard Iblis close by. "What's going on?"

I untied my ropes and propped him up. In the tuft of his ear, I saw a glint of metal and plucked it out. A small, round gadget, the size of an earpiece. "Nega betrayed us," I said, waggling it in front of Gardon. "He controlled you."

"Where is he now?"

I craned my neck, searching for the lousy scum, but I couldn't see too far around the basin. "I don't know. Maybe trapped under his machine." Good. "How do you feel?"

"Awful," he said. "You?"

Before I answered, the cables started snapping behind me, arcing in the air and twisting and coiling on the ground like a pile of snakes spitting sparks. "The portal!" I said.

At the front door, the roof caved in, blockading the front door with roof, rooms, and floors as Iblis' dripping lava head crashed through. It turned this way and that, finally saw us, and growled.

"Silver," Gardon said slowly. "Go to the portal."

"Not without you," I said, reaching for him. Those green eyes tracked us steadily, waiting for us to make a move.

Gardon raised his gun to his head, gulping and his body quivering as much as mine was. "Silver, the portal's dying. One of us has to make it or this will all be for nothing. Other worlds will fall to Iblis."

"But—"

"You're closer, you're faster, you have the best shot," he said. "On five. One."

"Gardon. No."

"Five!"

Gritting my teeth, I dashed around the basin and Gardon strafed to the side, firing at Iblis. The monster shook its head, mildly annoyed by the peashooter. Yet it followed Gardon and opened its mouth wide.

The portal was flickering, almost out of power. I took one last look at Gardon. He emptied his clip and threw the gun between Iblis' eyes. Then he smiled at me and gave a two-finger salute as flames engulfed him.

I screamed and jumped through the portal.

I was suddenly nowhere and everywhere at once. Flames behind me faded into bright white, then into a nothingness. I didn't know where I was. Some empty area that I was falling, tumbling through, yet every way seemed upright. Everything merged together. Time lost all meaning. Space was infinite before me and I wondered if I would fall forever, if I had already been here forever, in this void.

I was cold one second, hot the next. Wet as if I swam through the deepest ocean, then dry with the wind in my quills, soaring through unknown sky as majestic as a bird. Sometimes, I didn't experience the sensations myself and looked in on them, as if I lived vicariously through someone else.

Then instantly, I landed hard on a metal grate. The wind knocked out of me, I flopped onto my side and looked over the edge. Below, I saw red and black metal drifting through fluffy clouds. The clouds soon parted and I was above a walled city.

I sat up straight. The capital.

Further below, airships the same color as mine surrounded the city and deposited robots of every size into the streets. Guns atop the ship decks fired volleys of bombs that exploded rooftops and chipped away at the city.

Nega's theft. The very day he had attacked the capital. I was here.

No time to soak in the sights. I had to clear a path to the castle and stop Nega. First things first. I had to take care of the ships firing on the capital. I looked up. Several turret guns gleamed in the sunlight, polished, perfectly-tuned, and fully loaded.

A squat, rolly-polly robot painted red and black sat in the gunner's seat. As he shrieked in alarm, I lifted him in the air and flung him off the deck. Then I hopped into his seat. Surprisingly comfy.

The controls were a confusing mass of buttons. But there were two handles with triggers and I grabbed those. When I squeezed the triggers, the guns warmed up, but nothing else happened.

Great. I searched the controls. Maybe there was a start button somewhere? When I let go of the triggers and started pushing random buttons, the guns belched a charged red laser blast and kicked back, flailing me in the seat.

That's more like it! I pressed an upward pointing arrow on the console and my seat and the gun rose into the air. I aimed at the nearest ships below near one of the city gates, held the triggers, and let fly a blast. Below, the deck of a ship exploded, raining destroyed robot bodies and bits of scrap metal in the fields below. I fired again and again, blowing more holes in the ship. Smoke poured from the deck and fires ran rampant until the robots abandoned the ship. It lumbered slowly out over the fields and crashed into some hills, the wreckage shrouded in smoke.

Its partner ship noticed the commotion and focused on me. Thankfully, they were too low and their guns kept missing my ship. But they were closing in. I pounded their ship with shot after shot and had them going.

Unfortunately, smaller laser fire flew by my head. Below, several of the robots on my ship hefted their own personal laser rifles and shot at me. Others large bruisers ran full force into the pole supporting my seat, rocking me back and forth. The pole started to give way, bending to the side.

I swung my laser cannon around, aimed at them, and fired, disintegrating them in a second and leaving nothing but a hole clear to the ground. "Hah! Take that!" I said, pretty proud of myself. Then the ship shuddered and my victory laugh turned to a deflated, "Haaah." I plopped into my seat and cursed my stupidity.

"Sick of this ship anyhow," I said, spinning around to the robots crashing into the pole. I blasted them to bits, then fired randomly all around the ship. The smoke and fire was thick and the heat toasted my fur. When I stood, the ship swayed side to side as it fell, bow pointed straight at the other approaching ship.

I jumped, flying as fast away as I could. But I did take a second and admired the crash behind me. My ship pierced the other's deck and explosions burst out of both of their sides as they careened down onto a road leading to the capital. Thankfully, nobody seemed to be traveling that path. I guess everyone had holed up in the city.

Speaking of which, the other ships bombarding the capital and its countryside had taken notice of their fallen brothers. Two were swiftly moving my way and more were in the distance, on full alert. I couldn't infiltrate another one. The first had been a stroke of luck. Besides, Nega could be on any one of those ships and I didn't have time to search each one. But I did know what he would be going after. Quickly, I headed to the city.

* * *

The outer walls were so badly scorched and damaged, I was surprised they still held. Nobody manned them, but there were empty garrisons along the towers. I landed on the city streets, among several bombed homes and stores. Not as glamorous as Gardon's stories.

Peering into the collapsed houses, I hoped with all my heart that the people living there had made it out and found better shelter. Overhead, robots continued to rain on the city. No chance of flying to the castle. If the falling robots didn't cut me down, the laser cannons on top of and underneath the ships would.

I ran, passing down empty alleys and long, lonely stretches of cobble road. I had a general sense of the castle's location in the city center and, thanks to Gardon, I managed to find the shortcuts throughout the city.

Next to the castle's outer wall separating it from the city, I heard some general commotion and what sounded like fighting and more frightened voices. I stepped out of an alleyway and came upon a pile of robots, slumped over one another, sliced and stabbed to pieces. Oil sprang out between their gears, soaking them and the streets in black puddles. A detachment of knights stood nearby, ushering citizens through a gate in the wall to the castle. A few of the citizens were injured and the knights carried them through the gate.

One knight stood atop a robot, withdrawing her thin rapier from between the machine's eyes. She whipped out a cloth and wiped the blade clean of oil. "Looks like the last of them," she said, checking her sword. She was thin and graceful, and her armor stood out from the other knights. Hers was more polished, more angular and sleek, and had a series of lines crossing the helmet instead of simply two eye holes. With the violet strands of hair sticking out of the top of her head and held in place by a red bead like a tribal chieftain, I guessed her to be the captain of the detachment.

"Get everyone inside," she said to her troops.

A pair of knights smack a fist across their chests and bowed. Maybe a noble instead of a mere captain. Then the knights helped a group of children into the castle grounds.

"You better hurry inside too," she said, turning to me. "It's not safe out here."

I cleared my throat. "I need to find the Princess. It's an urgent matter."

"We're all well aware of the attack, thanks," she said.

"No, it's worse than that."

"Unless the world is about to explode, I don't see how."

Nega's word echoed in my mind. I couldn't let onto where I was from or future events. Only the Princess could know. However, I needed to find her first and this knight could help. "You're not too far off the mark," I said.

She tilted her head, giving me a curious look through the visors in her helmet. Then she raised her head and gasped. "Look out!"

Up above on a rooftop behind me, a robot with beady, glowing yellow eyes glared at us, crouching on all four of its paws, a predator stalking its next kill. Its long tail swished side to side and a dart popped out of the end of the tail, ready to shoot. I figured nothing good was in that dart and waited, feet apart as a mixture of gears and whirring pistons in its throat simulated a growl.

"Quick, to the castle," the knight said.

The predator robot flung the dart at us. The knight stepped in the way to stop it, but I caught it mid-air, throwing it aside.

Already, the predator was bouncing down from roof to open window to awning, before wiggling its hind legs and pouncing. I froze it just in time and hurled it into a house. A pile of rubble fell on it for a moment, then some of the debris shifted and the predator bounded at me again.

I picked up an abandoned sword and held the predator again. I flung the sword into its wide open mouth, lodging it in deep in its throat. I pulled blade out, slashed its face, leaving deep cuts that spurted oil, then waved my hand up and down rapidly. The sword responded, stabbing up and down, up and down into the robot's underbelly. When blade pierced all the way through and out the top, the robot screeched and slumped over. I dropped it onto the heap of other dead robots and the sword clattered to the ground beside it.

The knight gawked at me as I caught my breath. "Who did you say you were?"

"Please," I said, taking a deep gulp, "I need to find the Princess. Nega means to steal the Sol Emerald."

"How could you know that?"

Somehow, I doubted that telling anyone I knew Nega personally would go over well here and would only make this more difficult. "I'll explain later. But we have to go now. He may already have it."

The knight considered my words and finally nodded. "Very well. Come with me. I know the quickest way to the Sol Emerald's chamber."

"Thank you." And we took off, sprinting across the castle grounds.

 **A/N:** Pen! Activate the simulated lightning!

 **Pen:** *presses a button and the laptop fizzles*

…Hehe, and here I was worried. *watches a portal open* Crap.

 **Sword:** To the past! Let's mess with time!

Let's not!

 **Pen:** Oh, yes. We will. *hops though with Sword*

Everyone, thank you all for reading this! We really appreciate and would love to know your thoughts on the story so far. Please let us know in a review what you think. Also, please pay close attention to your timeline and the space-time continuum. No telling what those two will do to it. Wait for me! *hops through the portal*


	4. Chapter 4: Jewelry Heist

**A/N:** Hah! Got you!...Wait, we're in our house still.

 **Sword:** I know! We only went back a day in time!

What?! Why build a time machine and only go back a day?!

 **Sword:** I need to get some extra grinding in on Pokemon.

…I…You…*sighs and hangs head* Hello everyone. Please enjoy this day-early? chapter then. Silver and all related material belongs to Sega. The story, Sword, and Pen belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Thank you and thank you to MissMJS, Midna Azusa, and SaltWaterJanuary for their reviews. I need to go lay down.

 **Sword:** Gotta get ready for the Elite Four.

 **Chapter 4- Jewelry Heist**

I'm sure that, in peacetime, the gardens were as lovely and spacious as Gardon described. Now, hedges had been sliced and burnt through, flowers were trampled in the dirt, and trees laid broken at their trunks, to say nothing of the grass kicked up in clumps and flung behind deep, robotic footprints. Dozens of robotic bodies laid strewn about the gardens, with people buried among some.

Across the grounds, catapults that hadn't had time to set-up in position were smashed in pieces. The only defenses were atop the outer castle wall we had passed through, as troops manned the cannons and fired at falling robots, while more joined the defense of the wall.

The castle loomed over us as the knight and I neared it. It still stood, untouched, its blue-gray stone impervious and its sea-blue tiled tower tops daring the airships to attack. However, Nega wouldn't risk blowing the castle to smithereens. He couldn't, not with the Sol Emerald inside.

A pair of guards saluted the knight as we approached the heavy, bronze-laden doors. "Your Highness!" they said.

Your Highness?

"Open the door!" she said. The guards fell over one another, pounding on the doors. Something heavy on the other side slid back with a _chunk!_ Then the guards pulled the doors open by the brass rings and welcomed us inside.

A dozen troops met us at the door. "Your Highness? What's wrong?"

There was Your Highness again. I peered closer at the knight, trying to catch a glimpse through the visors. Was _she_ the Princess?

She ignored my stares and turned to the troops. "Who's guarding the Sol Emerald Chamber?"

"We have a few men there," one soldier said. "But why—"

"Come with me," she said and we all took off down the hall as the doors closed behind us.

The walls were lined with beautiful tapestries of every color and I could point out the ones I remembered Gardon telling me were his favorite. One elaborate tapestry over an archway depicted two armies sewn on it, their cavalry and bowmen standing on opposite hills, while soldiers in full armor charged down into the valley, swords raised and spears held firm and pointed at the enemy.

I didn't pay much attention to the surroundings, but merely followed along in the group and looked straight at the knight's back. I couldn't wrap my head around her being the Princess. Gardon's words that the Princess "went out and fought if need be and wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty or her face bloodied for their sake" echoed in my mind, but I never connected that to actually dressing in battle garb, picking up a sword, and wading into battle.

We sprinted through lengthy hallways and down multiple staircases to a lower chamber, at the bottom of the castle. There we stopped and hid in the shadows of a hallway. Around the corner, at the end of the next hall, large iron doors were lit by torches on either end, casting flickering shadows across the carved rays of light on the metal.

Three guards laid collapsed on the floor, gritting and wincing in pain, their swords kicked to the side. The doors were wide open onto a large marble chamber with a tall pillar arranged in the middle and constructed of slabs of stones, like totems. Two robots, with metal vice claws for hands and bulky upper bodies, were rotating the totem slabs while several other robots of varying sizes watched. When they stopped rotating, the totems locked into place with _sshlunk_ as stone slid on stone and the pillar retreated a foot lower into a hole. Then they would rotate the next totem.

Beside them, with his back to us, a fat man in a fashionable midnight black coat with yellow trim on his cuffs, arms, and shoulders directed their efforts. "Thirty-seven degrees to the left," he said. "Make sure the diamond faces the door." I peered closer and realized the pillar's totems had a pattern of similar symbols that went all around each slab. And that voice…

"Nega," the Princess said, darkness in her throat.

"Where is that blasted thing?" Nega said, raising his head to the top of the descending pillar. "If they hid that thing at the top, I will level this room and this insufferable pillar."

The Princess pointed to me and a few soldiers, then to the injured guards nearby. We quietly crept over, sticking to the walls as the shadows receded. The downed guards were in full view of the door, lying on the red carpet rolled down from the door's steps and out into the hall. We would be spotted if we reached out for them.

I aimed my palm at one guard, raising him off the ground by a few inches and holding his body perfectly flat. Without a sound, I floated him over to us and carefully handed him to one of the soldiers. The second guard was no trouble either and the soldiers toted them both back to safety. The whole time, the Princess watched me thoughtfully and I grew self-conscious. Was my power that odd? Or perhaps it was that she still didn't trust me.

However, when I guided the last guard over, Nega turned and coughed. I panicked and quickly pushed the guard into the waiting soldier's arms. Their armor clanged together, the sound echoing throughout the hall.

Nega looked full on at us in the shadows. He was far younger than I had ever seen him. Much like Gardon, I always thought the world ending had aged him. A few trace wrinkles hid in his brows and his mustache was fuller and a healthy jet black. In fact, his overall appearance was healthy and full of life. His cherry red bodysuit with a zipper down the front made him look like a tomato that someone had started to cleave. His black jacket was spotlessly clean and pressed, and his yellow striped black boots were shined to a sheen.

The pillar sank another totem and Nega ignored us. We retreated to safety around the corner and the Princess order three of the troops to take the injured men away. "Bring reinforcements," she added as they left.

"They won't get here in time," I said.

She nodded and peered out. "I know."

"Is there any other way in there?"

"No," she said, pulling off her greaves and exposing her gloved hands. "We'll have to hit them fast and hard." Tiny flames flickered on her fingertips and spread into her palms, collecting themselves into fireballs. My mouth drooped open and I marveled at her power. So it _was_ true. She _could_ wield fire.

"What?" she asked, catching me staring.

"Nothing," I said, straightening up. "Just, you know," I could feel a raised eyebrow through her helmet, "nothing. Anyway, what if I flew you and me up near the top of the door and we attacked from the ceiling?" As soon as I said it, I mentally slapped myself. No flying for her. I forgot.

"No, they would notice us either way," she said without skipping a beat. Good excuse. And true. Another totem slid into place. "We need to go now."

"Wait," I said. "I have another idea." Focusing hard, I created a large blob of energy that filled the width of the hall. Slowly, I shaped the blob into a ferocious beast, with razor-sharp teeth and massively curled claws. It raised up on its hind legs, snarling and snapping the air without a sound. The troops jumped back, but the Princess studied it, intrigued.

"Not bad," she said. I smiled and calmed it down. "Mind if I add to it?"

I stepped aside and she laid her hands on the beast's cheeks, her palms heating up. I understood her idea and created a hold in the side of my creation's mouth. Fire welled into the mouth, swirling with fury and intensity in a void that contained it. It was an intimidating sight to say the least and the troops cleared a wide berth for it.

"Nice touch," I said. She nodded and I directed the beast to the end of the hall, facing the open door. It coiled on its legs, laying low and homing in on its prey with its blank eyes, then leapt forward, covering the hall's length in seconds.

Nega barely had time to scurry away before the robots were bowled over and the beast belched out flames in a circle around it, catching some of the robots on fire. The machines sputtered and flailed, running about as gas barrels popped out of their backs. "Auto-cooling defenses, activated," a mechanical voice said on each as the barrels spouted a cooling smoke, trying to douse the robots' burning circuitry.

We chased after my creation and I had the beast snatch a robot, throw it in the air, and catch it in its teeth, crunching hard. It thrashed its head, shaking the robot like a rag doll, and spat it on the ground

Unfortunately, maintaining the beast drained my energy fast. As we piled into the room, I backed the beast off to stand at our side. I needed to catch my breath and the beast was wavering at its hind legs.

"Well, Your Highness. What an unpleasant, though not unexpected, surprise," Nega said as his robots lined up beside him, putting out the last of their flames and pointing their guns at us. He regarded the beast with curiosity. " _That_ , on the other hand, is new. Yours, I presume?" he asked me.

I had the beast stamp both its feet, hoping to scare him. No good.

"With that get-up," he said, indicating my desert outfit and cloak, "I'd say you're not from around here. And yet," he peered closer at me, lowering his sunglasses, "you do seem awfully familiar."

"Step away from the Sol Emerald," the Princess said.

"Not a chance," he said. "I have big plans for this beauty."

I gritted my teeth, remembering all the death and destruction from my world. "Like releasing," I paused as Nega and the Princess turned their attention to me, "chaos everywhere." They both studied me and I cursed my tongue, jamming it between my teeth.

"Not quite, but you're not too far off," he said. "There may be a period of chaos. Yet it won't last long, I assure you. I'll bring about total control."

I wanted to swat Nega and his robots into the wall. But I was losing my focus and the beast flickered in and out for a moment. Only for the blink of an eye. That was enough for Nega and his forces.

"Looks like you're having some trouble controlling that thing," he said, raising his hand. All the robots' guns clicked and they leveled them to their eye sights. "I wonder how well you do under fire?"

"Funny," the Princess said, producing a large fireball from behind her back. "I was about to ask you the same." She lobbed the fireball and Nega dodged out of the wall. She got a couple of his forces, blowing them apart.

"Kill them!" Nega shouted.

I let the beast loose to run through their line. It barreled through a few of the robots before shrinking to the size of a mouse and disappearing into thin air. The robots were on the feet instantly, shooting and taking down a couple of soldiers.

A robot charged headfirst into our ranks, a beeping noise coming from his chest. "Scatter!" I shouted. Its chest burst in a powerful explosion, throwing the Princess, me, and our forces around the room, and catching some of Nega's machines in the process.

Through the smoke clouds and dust of debris, I spotted Nega running to the pillar. "Nevermind the others," he told the pair of robots who had been rotating the totems. "Get me that emerald!"

Dizzy and unable to stand, I pointed at the pillar, feeling my way to the previous totem to disappear underneath the floor. I twisted it several inches, hoping against hope this would work.

To my astonishment and happiness, it did. The pillar rose, showing the totem out of place. Nega cried in alarm. "What?!" I did it for the next totem and the next, raising it higher and higher. "No, no, no!" Nega beat his fists on the pillar, willing it to come down. He caught me aiming at it. "You!" Nega waddled over, kicking me upside the head, and my vision bounced all over the place.

Through the smoke and dust, it was impossible to pick out the symbols on the totems unless you had your face pressed against the stone. "Bring it down! Break it! I don't care how!" Nega told his robots as he picked up a gun. They blasted at the stone, chipping tiny fragments here and there. But it was sturdy and refused to give. He roared and threw his gun at the pillar.

"Sir," one of the robots said in a flat, monotone voice. "We must escape. I sense enemy reinforcements approaching."

Nega tore at his hair, punching the pillar and cradling his hand. He grumbled, muttering dark curses under his breath. "Very well," he said. "But first." Rounding on me, he fixed me with a murderous glare. "I can't leave you to get in my way again." He picked up a gun and aimed at my head. "So long, hedgehog."

A crackling fireball erupted from the smoke, hitting the gun. It went off, the laser bouncing off into the unknown, and Nega yelped. "Let's go!" he said, running out of the room and into the hall with the rest of the functioning robots.

I tried to crawl after him, yet I was tired and sore. So very tired and so very, very sore. I collapsed, the marble floor cool against my cheek. We did it. We won. The Sol Emerald was safe.

The next thing I knew, hands were lifting me up, dragging me out of the room. Halls passed by, swarming faces hidden in helmets. One person removed their helmet. She had lovely golden eyes, filled with concern and confusion. Was that because of me? Was I that bad off? I didn't know. Those eyes disappeared in a watery mess of purple and white.

Then I was on a soft mattress and people hovered over me, opening my eyes, my mouth, lifting my limbs, examining me all over. Brief pain here and there and I moaned, but someone said, "Ssh. It's okay. This'll prevent infection."

I laid back and drifted off to sleep, mumbling to myself. "We did it. Gardon." Gardon, we did it. "Stopped Nega." We stopped Nega, stopped Iblis. "It's over. All over."

 **A/N:** Oh, hello. I'm just recovering from all the…exhilaration. Thank you for reading the story. We appreciate it and hope you're enjoying it so far. Please, let us know what you think of it below. Maybe now we can concentrate on it since all this time traveling is over.

 **Pen:** It hasn't even begun. Heh, heh, heh…


	5. Chapter 5: Answers and Evidence

**A/N:** Hello, folks! We're back!

 **Sword:** From outer—

No. Let's get to it, shall we? Silver and all related material belongs to Sega. The story, Sword, and Pen belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Thank you to Midna Azusa, firewaterwarriorKats, MissMJS, and SaltwaterJanuary for the reviews on the last chapter. And now please enjoy.

 **Sword:** Yeah! Level 100! Whoo-hoo! Rare candy glitch rocks!

 **Pen:** *sneaks the time machine out of the room*

 **Chapter 5- Answers and Evidence**

I woke later that evening and found myself in a warm, feathery bed that I wanted to sink into. Nothing like that lumpy mattress back home. This was pure heaven, with the softest sheets I could imagine and a pillow that felt like I was laying on a fluffy cloud. I spread my limbs along the sheets, soaking in their warmth and comfort.

"Ow." I pulled my arms back to my side and lifted my blanket. My right arm was dressed tight in linen, and a large bandage was taped to my ribs. Dull pain throbbed and radiated from them, following every heartbeat and alerting my nerves not to move much.

"You had some burns," a stern voice said. "Nothing too serious." I raised my head and found myself face to face with a lilac cat, her arms crossed, and watching my every move. As my vision cleared, I recognized her golden eyes, the same ones that had stared down at me with concern. Her features were sharp as a marble statue and she carried herself with a strict air of nobility, despite her simple attire choice of white pants and deep purple top that covered her head to toe. Her white boots gave her an edge in height, but what really stood out was the pointed hair, held up by a red bead…

"You're-you're Princess Blaze!" I struggled to sit up straighter in bed.

"Glad to see you're awake," she said.

The stony room I was in was comfortable, with candlelight on a bedside table, some extra bandages and medical supplies nearby, and royal blue carpet with green trim. My desert outfit had been stripped off of me and neatly folded on the bedside table. Outside the window beside me, I could see the capital slowly recovering. The smoldering buildings had been doused and the airships were nowhere in sight. People milled about in the town streets, retiring to their homes as the last of the sun tucked itself in below the horizon.

In the gardens below, families carried their belongings into the castle as soldiers kept the order. Some people joined the crowd from the town after they had finished picking through their destroyed houses. "Refugees," Princess Blaze said. "Thankfully, not as many as I feared."

"And many more townsfolk alive than we had hoped," another added. I craned my neck around Princess Blaze and almost hopped out of bed.

"Gardon!"

The koala was nowhere near as old as I knew him. In fact, he looked closer to my age and was still fit and lean enough to wear his silver captain's armor. He tilted his head, giving me a perplexed look. "Do I know you?"

"Uh," I wasn't sure how to answer. Yes, this was Princess Blaze and Gardon and I should be able to tell them everything. But we had stopped the theft. So where does that leave the future now? Would telling them more other than that they should guard the Sol Emerald carefully harm them?

"I have the feeling he does know you," Princess Blaze said, coming closer to my bed. She stood on one side and Gardon took the other. "But we're at a disadvantage. We don't even know his name."

"Silver," I said.

"Well, Silver," she said, "you talk in your sleep. Kept saying 'We did it. Gardon. We did it.' And something about stopping Dr. Nega as well."

My cheeks heated up under their scrutiny and I didn't have an answer. I eyed my outfit and Gardon followed my gaze. "Interesting get-up you have here," he said, poking the pile. "Looks like you're ready to trek through a desert. But the nearest one is across the sea. Nothing but mountains, forests, and plains around here. Which leads me to believe you're not from around here, are you?"

"You could say that," I said slowly.

"I did say that. Would you say that?"

"Sort of." I argued with myself back and forth on if I should say more. But Nega had warned us…

"We need something besides cryptic answers," Princess Blaze said. "Like how you knew Nega was after the Sol Emerald. Or that it's even in the castle."

"That's right," Gardon said. "The people believe the Sol Emerald is buried deep within the mountains, guarded by elite troops and other dangerous pitfalls. Not many know that it's right here."

"And you have quite the interesting power there," Princess Blaze said, eyeing my gloves.

"Not half as interesting as yours," I said. She smirked and snapped her fingers, a flickering flame appearing out of thin air and dancing on her fingertips. I marveled at the fire as it warmed my face. "I had always heard stories."

"They're true. I always wondered if I was the only one." She snatched the flame, snuffing it out, then noted the faint glow in my palms and said with a trace of happiness, "I'm glad to see I'm not."

"I'm sure he can tell us all about it," Gardon said.

I had the feeling they wouldn't let me go until I had answered all their questions. Again, Nega's warning reared its head.

Screw Nega. He betrayed us and caused all of this. For all I know, his warning was a lie too. Besides, if I could trust anyone, it would be these two. I nodded and cleared my throat. "Very well. I'll tell you. You may want to sit for this." They both grabbed a chair and sat at my sides, eager to hear the story.

Where to start? That stalled me for a few minutes until I finally blurted out, "I'm from a different dimension. Another universe." They reacted like I was an alien monster, giving me bewildering and strange looks. "A universe with some changes from your own, but still very similar. I come from the future there, where the world is destroyed, thanks to Dr. Nega."

Gardon seemed like he wanted to interrupt, but closed his mouth and I continued. I explained how Nega had succeeded in stealing the Sol Emerald in my world on this very day. Once he had it, he had used its power to unleash the beast of all destruction: Iblis. The name and description I gave stiffened both of them. "You know of it?"

"There are legends," Princess Blaze said slowly, "that the Sol Emeralds have to ability to channel and bring about harmony or destruction. Some legends allude to a beast like you describe."

"Whatever they say, it doesn't do the thing justice." I continued, telling how Iblis ravaged the entire planet, killing everything in its path, and how Gardon and I had somehow survived by sheer luck or divine blessing. We found one another and sought shelter, living off of what we could forage in a barren wasteland. "Which explains my clothes. The sandstorms are brutal." Then I told them how Nega had entered the picture, bringing his inventions and hopes of saving other worlds from the fate of ours. Our quest to build the dimension-traveling machine, his betrayal, and how I ended up here.

"That's how I knew what would happen. That's how I knew about the theft and the Sol Emerald. Nega laid out to us how he had swiped the emerald. And you, Gardon," I said and he straightened, "you told me all about this place. The castle, the capital, the Princess, all these stories until I knew this place like I had lived here all my life. We were close friends, you and I.

"As for my power, I've had it as long as I can remember. Perhaps always," I said, raising a pitcher of water off a nearby table, pouring it into a cup, and floating the cup over to my hand.

As I sipped, Gardon said, "You said we 'were' friends."

I looked down, not really wanting to recall what happened only this morning. Had it only been that long? Hard to believe where I was this morning. It felt like another lifetime. "Yeah, uh, you didn't make it through the portal with me. Only I did. You, that is, the other you and the other Nega, um," I trailed off, still seeing his hopeful face as Iblis burned him to ashes.

"Because of Iblis?" Gardon asked and I nodded. He slapped his legs and looked to Blaze, a silent conversation passing between them. "That is quite the story."

"It's the truth," I said.

"It may be. Then again, maybe you're looking to get the Sol Emerald for yourself. Or perhaps you're mad and this is an insane rambling. There's no evidence to prove one way or another."

"Yes, there is," I said. "I could tell you things about the future and you could see if they come true."

"Except, according to your story, you've already changed the past. So nothing you tell us would come to pass," Gardon said.

He was right. I squeezed my water cup, finishing my drink and brainstorming hard. I came to the past to change the future and I did. So I can't tell them the future, that's true. All I can tell them is the past.

"The past," I murmured.

"What?" Gardon asked.

"I can tell you about the past," I said. "Things you would only tell to someone close."

Gardon seemed amused and sat back in his chair, willing to play. "Okay, then. Tell me something."

"You play the violin," I said. "And you still practice to this day."

"Everyone knows that," he said, grinning. "I've played for many events here. Ask anyone in the capital and they'll tell you that."

"It's not only a hobby for you. If you hadn't become a guard, you would've wanted to play the violin for a living." His smile slowly dropped. "Your grandfather created your violin himself, hand-carved it out of sturdy oak. So it's light as a feather and has the—"

"Sweetest sound to it," Gardon finished, his mouth hanging open. He swallowed carefully and licked his lips nervously.

"And," I said, excited to deliver the killing blow, "you carved yours and your first girlfriend's initials into the violin. 'G and P'. Gardon and Paige." His pupils were the same size as his large black nose.

"I had wondered what those initials stood for," Blaze said, enjoying his shock. "So it's true then?"

"How could you know that?" Gardon asked, his voice scratchy and weak. "Only Paige knew that, God rest her soul. How could you?"

"You told me that story before. As well as many others about this castle. The founder of our nation has his sword on display in the throne room. There's a periwinkle vase in a west wing study that was given to Princess' Blaze's great-grandfather by a Duke overseas when he visited here. Duke, uh," there were too many names in these stories. How did Gardon always remember them?

"Duke Naka?" Princess Blaze offered.

"Yes! That's it. Thank you." Then I gave an awkward bow. "Uh, Your Highness." Then I turned to Gardon. "And it sits on a mantle that was carved specifically at the end of the Sixty-Year War, to show the bond of friendship between our country and the Northern Realm, to stand against all threats to our united land."

Gardon and Princess Blaze exchanged looks. "Seems you've taught him well," she said.

He crossed his arms, peering at me with utmost scrutiny, and the gears in his head churned behind his eyes, processing and calculating my story and knowledge of private events. "Okay, you may know me," he said slowly. "What about the Princess?"

She waited, focusing on me, and I had a sudden case of stage fright in her formidable presence. "Well, you told me 'she delivers firm and fair justice' and that there's a charitable, kind side she often doesn't show and downplays. She's always trying to help those in the greatest need in the kingdom." I decided not to mention the suitors or Gardon's claim of "elegant and beautiful". Not that the latter wasn't true, but saying it aloud, even thinking it as she watched me, made me feel a little embarrassed.

Princess Blaze's lids lowered, as if she knew I wasn't telling everything. "And?" she asked.

"That you will defend your people if you have to."

"Anyone can tell you that," Gardon said. "What else do you know about her?"

Princess Blaze's eyes bored holes into me, searching for the truth. I scratched my head, fishing my memories for more information besides the suitors and her beauty. "That she's afraid of heights." Now it was Princess Blaze's turn to wear a shocked face and her eyes bulged out of their sockets. "You have been since you were a child," I said, continuing. "You almost fell out a window, but Gardon caught you by your foot. You were scared to death and wouldn't calm down until he gave you your favorite flower, Rock Rose."

"You," Princess Blaze started, then looked to Gardon, as if accusing him.

"Your Highness, I promise you I never told a soul."

"You didn't. Or at least, this version of you didn't," I said, rubbing the oncoming migraine in my skull. All this dimension traveling was too confusing to think about. "Look, I'm telling the truth."

"Okay, let's say we buy your story," Gardon said. "What now? Do we send you back home?"

"We can't. It's a one-way trip," I said. "Your Nega would have to build another machine. But there's nothing for me to go back to anyway."

"So what do we do then?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Put more security on the Sol Emerald. Stop Nega. We only planned to prevent today's theft. The only way I can see to stop Iblis from ever destroying the world is to find Nega. As for how, whatever you think is best. You know this Nega better than I do."

Gardon leaned over to Princess Blaze and they conferred quietly for a couple of minutes, whispering to one another. "That certainly is an incredible story," Princess Blaze finally said.

"But you don't believe me?"

She raised her hands. "There's no proof for or against you so far. All we have is your word and actions. And today, you helped save the capital. So we are indebted to you for that." I eased into the bed, relieved. "Since you're injured, we'll keep you here for a few days until you are well. In the meantime, I will decide what to do with you."

She turned to Gardon. "Captain. See that we put more people on the Sol Emerald. I don't want to take any risk."

With a nod, Gardon hoisted himself to his feet. "Your Highness," he said, bowing to the Princess. Then he turned to me, giving me a curious once-over, then left in deep thought.

"I would ask," Princess Blaze said, standing up as well, "that you don't mention anything you spoke of to anyone in the castle. It could create problems." Beneath the surface of referring to hailing from another dimension, I had the suspicion she also meant to keep my lips shut on her fear of heights. Her quick steely glare confirmed it.

"Y-Yes, I will," I said.

Her face softened and her gaze backed down. "Thank you. Sleep well. I will come visit again tomorrow." She left the room and I lay back on my pillow. What a day. I thought I wouldn't be able to sleep after all that had happened, but within a matter of minutes, I was out for the night.

 **A/N:** Thank you to everyone again for reading this. We really appreciate it and hope you're enjoying it so far. Please let us know what you think of it and where to improve. Hey, Sword. Where's Pen?

 **Sword:** Can't talk. Facing my rival.

 **Pen:** *elsewhere, typing on the time machine* And now, to erase all these insipid fanfics from the world. Permanently!


	6. Chapter 6: Bed Rest

**A/N:**

 **Pen:** *enters coordinates into the time machine* Finally. I can go back and prevent us from ever getting involved in this insipid affair of fanfiction.

 **Sword:** *leans over his shoulder* I think you spelled the month wrong.

 **Pen:** Oh, yes. Thank you. That would've been a bad—Agh! What are you doing here?

 **Sword:** I plan to stop you, villain! Have at thee!

 **Pen:** Just stick to "en garde".

 **Sword:** Never! By the way, Silver and all related material belong to Sega, audience members. Me, Pen, and the story belong to the author. Please do not use without permission. Thank you to MissMJS and SaltwaterJanuary for their reviews. Please enjoy. Now, let's dance, Pen…to the death!

 **Chapter 6- Bed Rest**

For a week, I was confined to the bed so my wounds could heal. At first, I didn't mind, but soon, the soft, cloudy sheets started to suffocate me and the once spacious room closed in, gradually robbing me of space every day until I wanted to gnaw on my pillow and tear my blanket to pieces in frustration to at least get some use out of my limbs.

The physician's daily visits didn't help my mood. He would stroll in, all smiles, and poke and prod me while asking the same questions every day. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt when I move your arm like this? Do you feel any tingling?" It took all my willpower not to bite his head off. By the time he left, I pulled and tugged at my blanket, twisting it this way and that until I inadvertently wrapped myself up in a cocoon, steaming and grumbling to myself as my sore body throbbed through the sheets.

Thankfully, the caretakers were kind enough to bring me books to read each day. Some, I read for hours. Others, I grew bored with in the first few pages. Sooner or later, I turned to my only other distraction: the window.

Outside, the town was steadily recovering from the attack. Within the first few days, much of the debris had been sorted and cleaned up and the rebuilding efforts had begun. Everyone pitched in to help. Masons laid stones and bricks day in and day out, slowly erecting walls; carpenters sawed and carved new doors and shutters; tailors stitched new curtains; and engineers directed the construction. I could just barely hear the vague shouting in between the pounding and sawing noise.

Even those who couldn't help with the actual labor lent a hand in other ways. Bakers provided hot, fresh goods each day for lunch to the workers; grocers brought around drinks and ripe fruit; and children helped their parents carry tools or ran back and forth between building sites, delivering messages between engineers and the workers. And for the people who couldn't do any of those things, they helped families root through the collapsed buildings, searching for their belongings, or they would donate furniture, clothes, and anything they could afford to those less fortunate. When the castle became too full with refugees, others opened their homes to those without a place to stay.

I was impressed. It reminded me much of my own village where everyone came together in times of need. I had heard it said that larger cities lost that communal feel, where everyone was a neighbor, but not the capital. If anything, it made a strong case that the capital's influence had spread to villages like mine, reinforcing that goodwill.

My eyes would soon drift to the castle grounds, which was a much more grim picture. Rows upon rows of bodies swathed in white linen lined the grounds, of all shapes and sizes. Some much too small. And every morning, the number grew.

Families mourned over the bodies for hours, leaving flowers and other mementos of those lost. One of the caretakers had told me the bodies were to be buried soon, but they needed to dig enough graves first. And more continued to pour in.

My heart reached out to the people down there. I wished I could leave and tell them how sorry I was for their loss. Because I saw my own family down there in every sheet, my whole village in every row. I rounded in my bed to see any new ones brought in, no matter how much my side burned.

It truly spoke volumes to Nega's cruelty. I had heard stories in my own world, but that was hate from afar. Hate passed down through others. Seeing it firsthand really drove the point home how evil he was. I looked into the sky, wondering where his fleet was hiding, and toyed with the idea of joining the hunt and helping Princess Blaze locate Nega. It soon turned into an insatiable desire, one I couldn't quench stuck in this GODFORSAKEN BED!

Besides the caretakers and physician, I only had two other regular visitors. The first was the Princess, who stopped by at the beginning and end of each day to check on me. "How are you feeling?" she asked politely like always, standing at the foot of my bed. The royal way she held herself and my angle in the bed almost seemed like she was looking down at me. I was always insecure and felt like I should be bowing.

"Getting better," I said. "Any word on what to do with me?"

"We've been busy with the repairs. I and my advisors will decide soon." Soon was always a day away.

Whenever she left after seeing me each morning, I would turn in bed and watch her leave the castle. It was the same every day. She would visit with the grieving families first and offer her condolences. In the early morning light, she did carry a radiance to her and I understood what the older Gardon had meant. There was a majestic beauty about her, amplified all the more by her kind-hearted actions each day and I found myself watching her for hours as she went through this daily routine.

"Busy?" a voice asked over my shoulder. I jumped and pulled my blanket to my neck, then relaxed. Gardon, my other regular visitor. He squatted on the window sill and watched the Princess move about the rows, stopping by each heartbroken  
family. "Or are you too busy ogling the Princess?"

"What, no, I—" I bumbled over my words and he chuckled.

"Relax. You wouldn't be the first be enchanted by her." I coughed into my knees and lowered my head, so only my eyes stared over the white mountains of blankets and hid my flustered cheeks. "She's had many come seeking her hand."

"That's what the other you said," I mumbled. "Something about one especially pushy guy who she threatened to throw off the highest tower."

He laughed and nodded. "Yeah, that's true." Then he gave me a scrutinous look. "Which should give you plenty good idea what I'll do if you get any funny ideas."

"The thought didn't cross my mind," I said, although he narrowed his eyes. I never was a great liar. The idea had entered once, maybe for a second, but I shooed it away. I couldn't get involved in anything like that. I was a decade older and from another time. Who knows the consequences that could have?

Gardon pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I've been meaning to ask something."

"Go ahead," I said.

"So, in your dimension, the entire world was destroyed, but you survived and came here. Assuming the Gardon from your world had made it, there would be two Gardons here. Me and an older me. So is there a younger Silver here?"

"I've been wondering that myself," I said. "Since we stopped Nega, then it would make sense." Another me living in my village. My village. Untouched. I had pondered the idea, but hadn't had the nerve to hope that it was true. What if it wasn't?

Gardon seemed to sense my hesitation. "Why wouldn't it be?"

I raised my head, leaning against the pillows. Already, the awful nightmares wanted to take hold and remind me of what happened before. "I don't know," I said. "True, Iblis isn't here, but theoretically, there are supposed to be some differences between my world and yours. Something could be severely different. What if my village was destroyed some other way? Or maybe I was never born, or I'm a completely different person. Maybe the me of this world is already dead. There are too many possibilities."

"You could always go find out. What did you say the name of it was?"

"Mammoth Mogul. Don't be fooled by the name. It's a small place. Doubt you've heard of it. It's on the other side of the Thunder Mountains," I said. "Besides, I can't risk going back. What if I run into my other self? I could drastically alter something that affects other dimensions." I shook my head. I was beginning to sound like Nega.

"You wouldn't want to see your family and friends?" Gardon asked.

"I do. More than anything," I said. "But I can't."

He hummed to himself. "Well, we could send a courier up there to check. Have a quick looksee."

"Oh, you don't have to—" I started, but he waved away my protest.

"Consider it a thank you for helping stop the theft," he said. "Besides, I have a person up there anyway. It's no trouble."

Gratitude washed through me, heating and chilling my bones at the same time. "Thank you," I said, sniffing and looking out toward the horizon, toward the nearby cloud-peaked mountains in the east. The storms that gave the mountains their name circled and raged almost year-round, like slow tornadoes trying to consume the mountaintops. On the other side, a forest was nestled at the base of the tallest mountain. And on the edge of that forest, far from the mountain, and in between wide open fields, my village thrived and lived.

Everyone lived. "Just knowing they're alright would be enough," and I was surprised I said it aloud.

Gardon looked thoughtful for a moment. "If you don't mind me asking, why didn't anyone from your village flee and hide? Surely Iblis must've attacked the capital first."

I shook my head. "No, he came for our village first. My Gardon was confused by that too. Nobody had seen Iblis or Nega for sure until he came for us. Until then, it was all rumors."

"I wonder why?" Gardon said, rubbing his chin.

"I know why, but we didn't find out until Nega showed up. He had meant to test Iblis' power on the capital with a small attack. At first, he had full control of Iblis, thanks to the Sol Emerald." My fingers curled the blanket into clumps. "But he lost control somewhere over my village. 'It was a matter of control,' he said. Iblis was stronger than he could've imagined and beyond the Sol Emerald's power. It broke loose and went for the first sign of life it saw."

"Your village?"

I nodded. "The funny thing is, my parents had been talking about moving to another town. Astapor."

"The port city?"

"The same," and I had a brief flash of déjà vu. "They were scared of the rumors about Nega. Everyone was. We had planned to leave in a few days. But then it attacked. No warning." I raised my hand and kept it level, swishing it through the air. "Just swooped down and…" I snatched thin air and stared at my fist. I still heard that unearthly howl as the beast tore through the village, carrying away clawfuls of people.

"There was nothing we could do against it. Everyone was so paralyzed that we were easy pickings. I froze up too and if not for my parents pushing me to run with them, I would be dead." I sighed. "I still don't know how I got away. I kept running, flying, all as fast as I could. My parents kept urging me on. I didn't realize until later they were gone too. My parents, Iblis, everyone I knew, gone."

Gardon sat there stunned, his mouth hanging open and unsure what to do. "Sorry," I said, taking a shuddering breath. "I haven't told you—uh, the other you—that story in years."

"It's okay." He patted my shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to go through all that."

"Yeah, well, at least we stopped it in this world. Now to find Nega," I said, trying to sound upbeat and failing miserably. Gardon saw right through it and for a moment, a connection sparked between us, as if I was talking to the Gardon I had known. A rekindled sense of familiar sympathy and understanding of the struggle we had endured from Iblis. And, unless I was wrong, I believed he felt it to. Years living with him, I learned to read his face, although it usually took me far longer than it would have other people to pick up on facial cues. I saw confusion in his eyes as to why this feeling was so familiar.

He returned to his seat and we resumed watching Princess Blaze, neither of us talking for a while. It felt like I was with the old Gardon and we were back in our old base, watching another sunset, looking forward to the day we would leave the dead world for a new one.

As the rising sun hit him and Princess Blaze continued attending to the families, a set of distressed wrinkles etched into his forehead and a worried frown aged him to my Gardon's years. I half-expected him to turn and ask, "So, now that everyone's safe, ready to go to Astapor and travel the world?"

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

Gardon murmured to himself more than to me. "She's still too stiff."

"Stiff?" I asked.

He sighed. "Look at her," he said, pointing at the Princess.

Princess Blaze moved from family to family, talking with them at length, sharing their loss with heartfelt promises and support, and cupping their hands between her own.

"Looks like she's doing a good job to me," I said.

Gardon raised an eyebrow. "You're a little naïve, aren't you? You're telling me you don't see her trembling? Or how she keeps shifting her feet? Or how every movement is jerky? Look closely at her."

I twisted further in my bed, ignoring the pain, and leaning closer. Now that he mentioned it, while holding anybody's hand, Princess Blaze did seem unsure about what to do, like she was carrying an explosive that would detonate if she moved at all. And her features did appear off. Not insincere, but strained and uncomfortable. If I'm also being honest, I've seen robots created by Nega with less mechanical movements than her as she bowed to each family and left for the next one.

Gardon groaned. "We've had many tutors and instructors practice and talk with her about it, but she's just not there yet."

"She's not that bad," I said.

"So when she walks in the room, she makes you feel welcome and at ease?" he asked. I had no argument for that. "Exactly."

"What's the problem? The burden of being royalty?"

The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but at the last second, his mouth snapped shut on the words and he swallowed them. "Something like that." I let the dodged question go as the Princess headed toward the gates. Like every day, she left her guard escort behind.

"Isn't that dangerous?" I asked.

He gave me a knowing grin. "I think you've seen up close that the Princess can handle herself very well. Besides, she has personal matters to attend to."

"Like what?"

He stood up. "Personal matter. Speaking of, I have personal matters of my own to attend to." He gave a small bow and left. I turned and enjoyed the sunrise as it cast a friendly glow on the capital.

* * *

A few days later, I was finally given an all clear by the physician and I leapt out of bed in the blink of an eye. He also informed me that Princess Blaze had invited me to dinner that night. I told him I would accept and he left.

I left my outfit off for my bandages' sake, and I was careful when moving to antagonize any lingering sore spots. I wandered around the castle until dinner in silent thought, pondering my next move. Part of me still wanted to head to Astapor, but an overwhelming side wanted to help track Nega. While he was still on the loose, no one was safe. I couldn't let that continue.

And, more selfishly, Gardon's courier hadn't returned yet. I still wanted to hear about my village.

I entertained myself, studying the heirlooms and paintings and expansive rooms of the castle until evening. It was my first time in a castle and I enjoyed every minute of it. Not quite as glorious as the fairy tales I heard growing up, but it was very regal, with plush carpets laid out almost everywhere, servants and guards around every corner, rooms upon rooms all currently filled with townspeople, and a grand throne room with a golden seat at the far end of the audience chamber and on a platform several steps high.

When dinner came, I made my way to a small dining room. Princess Blaze had lent the main dining hall to all the townspeople for their stay. Instead of dining with them tonight, she had wanted it to be private between herself, Gardon, and me. Another round of questions, I guessed.

When I neared the small dining room, Gardon and the Princess were already inside. I stopped at the entrance, hiding outside of the frame, and cocked an ear. They were whispering low in secret at the table, their features shadowed and barely readable in the light of the fireplace.

I crafted a small glowing ball in my hand and stretched it out into a cord. At one end, I balled up bits of the cord so it formed a horn, then I crouched and fed the core under the rug that covered the dining room floor. I lengthened the cord, sending it closer until it peeked out of the rug beside the table.

I pulled and molded my end of the cord into a horn as well and held it to my ear. Muffled voices and low murmurs. I lengthened the far end of the cord to wrap around the table leg and get closer. Then if I listened carefully, I could make out their words.

"—and they still don't trust him," Princess Blaze said. "Then again, I don't sense any hostility from him. Do you?"

"No," Gardon said. "I still have my reservations, but…" he trailed off.

"But?" she prodded him.

"But I feel like he's been honest with us and I believe his story. I can't explain how or why. There's something…something I can't put my finger on. Hm? What's that?"

My heart leapt into my throat. I hadn't been paying attention to the cord and it brushed against Gardon's knee. As he bent to the side for a better look under the table, I broke my hold on the cord and it slowly turned transparent. I strolled in, coughing and gaining their attention as the last traces vanished.

"Sorry, I'm a bit late," I said, hoping Gardon hadn't seen anything.

"Not at all," Princess Blaze said. "Please sit." She waved to a high-backed velvet chair beside her like they sat in. I bowed and seated myself, relaxing in the chair. Within moments, servants entered, carrying a fish dinner for each of us and laying it on the small, round table.

Once the servants left, we talked a little about the reconstruction efforts and how the town was recovering well. Gardon reported on some minor altercations at one area, but nothing major, and the Princess talked a little about some advisors she still had to meet up with after dinner. She actually seemed more at ease and open when talking now. Although I'd wager that was because of Gardon's presence and his vote of confidence. "It is nice to be away from my advisors for a bit and have some quiet time," she said.

"Agreed," Gardon said. "Any longer around the tools all day and I think I would have gone deaf."

"Speaking of my advisors," Princess Blaze said, "I've come to a decision today." I gulped the forkful of fish I had just crammed in my mouth. "Your story is most farfetched and the circumstances for how you came to be here and know what you know are quite unbelievable." My throat constricted on the food and I felt like I would choke.

"However," she continued, "even in the most outrageous lies, there is a grain of truth. No sane person would use an outlandish story like yours for an excuse. And none of us can fully verify if your story is real or if you're mad. Not to mention, Dr. Eggman Nega is a genius. It's all too possible that he could've unlocked the secrets behind time or dimensional travel."

I waited, every breath I took all too loud in my ears. My heart thumped against my rib cage and my feet shifted, ready to bolt at a moment's notice if this went south.

"I don't believe you have any hostile intent. Neither does Gardon. Some may disagree, but I think you only wanted to help, and for that I thank you. So you are free to go and we shall provide you a fitting reward for your heroic deed. Name anything you would like. Gold? Land?"

I exhaled, then straightened, trying not to seem _too_ relieved. "Thank you, Your Highness," I said. "But knowing the world is safe is reward enough." They both seemed surprised at my rejection. "If I could, all I ask for is enough gold to get me on my way. I don't want to miss this chance to see what the world has to offer. After all," I cast a quick glance at Gardon, "it's what a friend and I agreed to do."

Princess Blaze studied me for a moment and nodded. "Very well. Know that you will always be welcome here."

"Thank you."

Dinner went on in silence for a few minutes before she said, "So, you seem to have given some thought as to what you want to do."

"Yes," I said.

"Since the physician has cleared you, do you plan to leave soon?"

"Not right away," I said, wiping my mouth on my arm. I got halfway, realized my social faux pas, and grabbed a napkin instead. "I was hoping to hear more about my village soon from one of Gardon's couriers. And I wanted to offer my help in tracking down Dr. Nega."

"Oh?" she said.

"Even though he's not my Nega, I do know a few things about him. Please let me help."

"Why the interest?" she asked.

"My mission isn't truly finished and the world isn't really safe until he's captured and stopped for good. He's cunning and will try to find another way to release Iblis."

"I agree," Gardon said.

"Each morning when I look outside and see those bodies, I'm reminded of how evil he is." I clenched my fists. "I can't let that stand. I won't let anyone else end up dead because of him."

"Very well," she said. "You can work under Gardon and myself. We appreciate any help you can offer." I nodded and turned back to my meal. "I must say, that does put my mind at ease."

"What does?" I asked.

"Well," she said, chewing and swallowing, "all this time, I thought you were spying on me from your window. Watching for some weakness, which didn't do you any favors when I made my decision."

I sputtered and opened and closed my mouth several times. "No, I wasn't, you see…" Gardon grinned and appeared to enjoy the show. I cleared my throat. "I wasn't spying on you."

"But you were watching me."

"No! Well, yes, but not like that!" I said. "I just noticed how you consoled the families of those who had passed. Nothing more than admiring your qualities."

"'Qualities'?" Princess Blaze said, repeating it with an amused smile. "I'm interested to hear about these 'qualities'."

Gardon tried to hide a small chuckle with a cough and wiped with a napkin. "So would I."

I blanked and glared daggers at Gardon. What could I say?

"Don't keep us in suspense," she said.

"Well, I only meant the qualities my Gardon had told me about. You know, being compassionate to others, kind, just," I said.

"And that was enough to have you watch for hours?" she asked.

I was tongue-tied and didn't know what else to say. Her leadership? No, no. Her beauty helped, I thought to myself. And those eyes. However, that was all inappropriate.

They waited expectantly. Before I could make a fool of myself any more, a guard burst into the room, saving me from my fate. He bowed to the Princess. "Apologies, Your Highness! Urgent news!"

She pushed back from the table and stood up. "What happened?"

"There's been several murders in town," the guard said. "We found Dr. Eggman Nega among the bodies!"

 **A/N:** What's going on here?!

 **Sword:** Pen! Evil! Things!

 **Pen:** *looks at the time machine* No stopping me now! *hits the time travel button* And away we go!

 **Sword:** Noooooooo—By the way, thank you all for reading this chapter! Please let us know you thought of it. Have a good day!—ooooooooooooo!


	7. Chapter 7: Scene of the Crime

**A/N:** Where are we now?

 **Sword:** When are we? Hey! That's you in that room! A younger you…Much less flabby too.

Thanks…

 **Sword:** *gasps* And younger me! I was so precious.

…Oh, crap. Uh, hey, folks. We have some things to deal with, but feel free to read this chapter in the meantime. As always, Silver, Blaze, and all related characters and material belong to Sega. The story, Sword, and Pen belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Thank you. Come on, Sword. Let's hurry!

 **Sword:** Rightey-o! Bye, Lil' Me!

 **Chapter 7- Scene of the Crime**

Dr. Eggman Nega. Dead as a doornail. My brain kept trying to wrap around that and didn't really register the other part of the guard's report until we reached the house with the dead bodies. "Murders". As in, multiple. A couple of local constables stood at the doorway, one green in the face and his shoes covered in vomit. He looked as if he might be sick again, so I hurried inside with Princess Blaze and Gardon.

The town's sheriff was at the scene of the crime, a serious weasel whose face scrunched in depression and disgust. As he left the bodies and met us in the foyer, he bowed. "Your Highness."

"Is it really Dr. Eggman Nega?" she asked.

"As far as we can tell," he said, straightening his blue uniform.

"The others?"

"Family of five. No survivors."

She nodded. "Show me."

The sheriff seemed to hesitate, but Princess Blaze stared him down and he bowed again. "As you wish. This way, Your Highness."

The home was a modest, cozy place, large enough for a family. All of whom were positioned in the dining room that was the center of the first floor. The entire family sat at the dinner table, their plates filled and ready to eat. At the head of the table, the father was facedown in his plate, vegetables and potatoes smearing his face. A teenager on one long side had toppled out of his chair and his younger sister had somehow fallen under the table. The mother opposite the father was slumped over, reaching for a baby's high chair, as if to wipe her child's mouth of food. And I didn't think I could stomach looking at the stiff mass in the high chair.

It was sickening and disturbing. Their faces were open in silent screams, pleas of mercy that fell on deaf ears. I turned to the only thing I could take in without feeling sick. Nega's large body sat near the young girl, his fists on the table, one clutching a laser pistol in his hand.

I didn't even realize the sheriff had been explaining the scene to us until he pointed out the laser pistol in Nega's hand. "We suspect this was the murder weapon," he said, beckoning us closer. "Smell that?" There was a crispy scent in the air, as if it had been recently fired. "And look at the bodies. See those holes in them?"

I forced myself to turn to the bodies again. The sheriff was right. Each family member had a blackened, burnt hole through their body or neck. If I examined them close, I could almost see to the other side and my bowels churned. I hoped there was a bathroom. "Time of death puts them at about two hours ago."

Princess Blaze either had an iron stomach or an excellent bluffing face. Her lips twitched and she stared at the ceiling for a moment, walking around as she rapidly blinked, as if piecing everything together the bits of information we had been told one after another. Otherwise, the grisly display had no visible effect on her.

"Alright," she said. "So you're saying that Dr. Nega murdered this family. But then, who killed Nega?"

"We're not sure yet. But we did find something. Here," he pulled out his nightstick and lifted Nega's left arm. Under the armpit was a stab wound and blood that sullied his already red coat to a mauve. "The coroner will be able to tell more later, but it looks like someone pierced him good with a blade. From the looks of things, he could've survived for a while before bleeding out."

"He wasn't like this when we last saw him," Princess Blaze said. "So, someone got to him and he, what? Hid here? Why not flee to one of his ships?"

"If the injury was severe enough, he would be in no condition to travel," Gardon said.

"True, but then why is he alone? When Silver and I saw him, he had robotic guards with him. Or he would've called down a droid to tend to his needs if he lied low. Did you find evidence of anyone else in the house?" she asked the sheriff.

"No, Your Highness," he said.

"It doesn't make any sense. What about the family? Have you found any significant connection between Nega and them?"

The sheriff shook his head. "No. As far as we can tell, he picked the house at random."

"And none of the neighbors noticed anything odd?"

"No. Neighbors even saw the parents coming and going from the house."

"Probably kept the children as hostages to make sure they didn't alert the authorities," Gardon said.

"My thoughts exactly," the sheriff agreed.

"Do you mind if we look through the rest of the house?" Gardon asked.

"Be my guest," the sheriff said. "Nothing much to see though. I'm going to get some fresh air. Shout if you need me or one of my deputies." He swept low before the Princess and took his leave.

"Where to?" I asked.

"I'll look down here," Gardon said. "I want to check the scene some more. Maybe something was overlooked."

"Very well," Princess Blaze said. "I'll examine the upstairs. Silver, would you mind assisting me?"

Gardon gave us a strange look, but I nodded to her and we traipsed upstairs. We entered the first of the three upper rooms. A child's room with some cute toys strewn out. A small bed and dresser stood in opposite corners. It could only belong to the little girl downstairs. The little girl who died in terror with her family instead of enjoying a happy childhood, carefree and innocent. A chill clenched my chest in its icy grip.

Princess Blaze's face fell and she shuddered, perhaps thinking the same thing. She seemed to have dropped her guard a little once away from the others, the same as she had at dinner. Her sad eyes scanned the little girl's belongings and she moved aside some of the toys, searching for some clue. I joined, neither of us talking.

After a few minutes, we abandoned the room. We didn't really feel like we would find anything anyway. There was no sign that Nega had left anything in there.

The teenager's room was the next one. No toys, but there were some workman's tools beside the door and a crafted wooden chair in the middle of the room. It looked sturdy and strong enough. However, it hadn't been sanded down yet. And I suspected it never would be.

"So," Princess Blaze said, "do you have any idea why Dr. Nega would hide out here? Or who could've killed him?"

"None," I said, checking under the bed.

"Any particular enemies of his in your timeline that he mentioned?"

"In particular? No," I said. "Then again, from what I've heard growing up and from my Gardon, you could throw a stone anywhere and hit an enemy of Nega's. You could take your pick and probably find a couple of dozen at least."

"True," she said, pulling out some dresser drawers. "But if he's dead, would you say we don't have to worry about Iblis anymore?"

The thought had crossed my mind. And yet…"I'm not so sure," I said, standing up. "There's something wrong here."

"My thoughts exactly," she said. "It doesn't add up. Nega is too smart to let himself be cornered easily. He was overpowered and he didn't have any robots protecting him? I don't like it."

"Still, at least it's one weight off your mind."

"And replaced by a potentially worse threat," she said.

As we left the room, I noticed a picture frame with a cross-stitch that read "Home, Sweet Home" lying near the door. It had fallen and had a laser hole right through the o in the first "Home". I pointed it out to the Princess.

"Leave it," she said. "We can notify the sheriff."

The last room was a bathroom, which was stocked with a wash basin, toilet and some towels. "I take it you've had trouble with Nega for years," I said.

"Many years," Princess Blaze said. "Since my rule began, he's been a constant thorn in our sides, always trying to overthrow the kingdom."

"I wouldn't have let him," I said. "He wouldn't have gotten to you."

She smiled. "I appreciate the concern, but I can handle myself. It's the people I'm worried about. Every time he attacks, many die. Even now, in death, he has to take more with him."

"It would have been worse if he succeeded last week," I said.

"I know. Yet that doesn't make the burden less heavy, especially when you're looked to for protection, for guidance," she said.

She was being surprisingly candid and I inspected a towel too closely, piecing together some response. "Well, I don't know about that," I said. "I've never really ruled anything, except a pretend kingdom of squirrels as a child." She chuckled, an enchanting sound that lifted my dreary spirit. "I do know that the people look to you to keep leading them. That has to count for something."

"True," she said. "Although sometimes I wonder why."

"Maybe because they know you're doing the best you can for their sake?"

She smiled. "That's what Gardon usually says."

I shrugged. "Spend enough time with someone and you start to act the same," I said. I hunched over, squatting at the koala's height and hooded my lids to imitate his bushy eyebrows. "Be careful of this one, Your Highness. He knew where the Sol Emerald was."

Princess Blaze burst out laughing, covering her mouth and holding her stomach. I broke character and laughed too, falling back against the wash basin and banging my head. "Ow," I said, rubbing my noggin.

"Are you okay?" she said in between stifled laughs.

"Yeah, I think so. Just stings." She helped me to my feet.

"Thank you," she said, still chuckling now and then.

"Anytime," I said. It had certainly eased the tension and she was gorgeous with a wide, amused smile gracing her features. Her eyes shifted to the side, back to me, then turned away. We climbed back down from the momentary high and she let go of my hand to my disappointment.

Back on the first floor, Gardon was examining Nega. "Find anything?" Princess Blaze asked.

"Not much," Gardon said. "He must've been in bad shape. Besides the stab wound, his clothes are torn and messed up. I'd say he was ambushed."

"But by who?" she asked.

"No idea," he said.

The Princess stood back from the table and swept her eyes over the room. "Alright. Let's step back and look at this. Between the time he left the castle and now, Dr. Nega was assaulted and mortally wounded. He appears to have chosen this house at random and hidden here, with no support or aid of any kind. Then sometime today, he killed this family and bled out himself."

"That about covers it," I said.

"It still doesn't make sense," she said.

Gardon had no answers, yet when I studied Nega closer, I thought I did have one. His coat was in tatters as Gardon said, yet old and well-worn like it had seen years of abuse. Some buttons were torn off, the others dull and unpolished. The coat was also dusty and unwashed.

My breath hitched in my throat and I stumbled back, falling on the floor. "Silver?" Princess Blaze asked.

No, no it couldn't be. But I _knew_ that coat! I _knew_ it. Which meant that—! Which meant that—! "No," I said softly, refusing to believe it. "It's not possible."

"What's not possible?" she asked.

"Nega is alive," I said.

Gardon shook his head. "I think the physician must have given you a clean bill of health too soon. Nega is dead."

"Not yours. Mine," I said, fumbling behind me and finding a cabinet. I pulled myself to me feet.

"You told us he died," Princess Blaze said.

"I did. He is," I insisted. "I saw it myself. However, that coat is his. Without a doubt. That is not the same coat your Nega wore earlier."

"So if it is your Nega, how did he get here?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he fell through the portal instead of being crushed by his machine like I thought. Then he killed this Nega and took his place," I said, now on a roll. "That way, he would have another chance to release Iblis and rule the world this time."

"Hold on, hold on," Gardon said. "Wouldn't killing his younger self harm him?"

"Not necessarily," I said. "According to Nega, actions in one dimension can spread out and affect others, a ripple effect like a stone dropped in a pond, but they don't directly impact one another."

Gardon rubbed his forehead. "All this dimension nonsense is giving me a headache. Why kill this Nega then? They could've worked together."

"Have you met Nega?" I asked. "Since when has his ego ever allowed him to share power? He attacked this Nega, brought him here, and I'll bet you that he murdered the family and left your Nega to take the blame."

"How could he do that alone?" Princess Blaze asked.

"He couldn't. He would need robots."

"Who will obey Nega," Gardon said.

"Including your Nega," Princess Blaze said to me. "Because they're the same."

"Can we designate them for the time being? Because this is becoming confusing," Gardon said. "How would Older Nega maintain control of Younger Nega's robots? Surely the robots would assist Younger Nega if he was injured."

"Not if Older Nega kept Younger Nega weak enough not to talk, but strong enough to survive," the Princess said. "Older Nega probably allowed the robots to do at least that."

"Exactly," I said.

"Why keep him alive?" Gardon asked. "If he wanted control, he could just kill Younger Nega and be done with it."

"I don't think he attacked Younger Nega until recently," I said. "I'm betting Older Nega stowed away on a ship the day of the theft, found Younger Nega only a couple of days ago, then stabbed him. Maybe he kept him alive long enough afterwards, in case there were different things about this timeline that he needed to know."

"That still doesn't explain something," Princess Blaze said. "After he interrogated Younger Nega, Older Nega flew a ship back here and risked being caught to allow Younger Nega to die here and kill an entire family while he was at it. Not only that, he left a clue identifying it was him," she pointed at the tattered coat. "All this instead of quietly dumping the body elsewhere and assuming his identity. Nega is insane and ruthless, but I don't see why Older Nega would do this. He would've known you would figure out he was behind this."

She had me there. It didn't make sense for my Nega to do that. He knew I was here and could point the finger at him. What could he hope to gain by loudly announcing his presence like this? Even leaving the gun that he likely used in this heinous crime? To let me know he was here? Perhaps, but that seemed too simple a reason. There had to be more to it than that.

I racked my brain for an answer. Why leave Younger Nega with a seemingly ordinary family, in a typical home like this?

Family. Home.

Home, Sweet Home.

I dashed up the stairs, flying as fast as my feet would take me. Princess Blaze and Gardon followed right behind as I burst into the teenager's room. I picked up the shattered frame by the door and held it to my nose. A waft of ash from the deliberate scorch mark in the o of "Home" still lingered. This was very recent. As recent as the cauterized holes in the victims downstairs.

"I know where he's going," I said, handing the frame to Gardon. They both looked at it and the realization clicked in their heads.

Quick as a flash, I raced back downstairs, pushing my way past the constables outside. I had to hurry. Had to reach Mammoth Mogul before it was too late.

A hand grabbed my arm and stopped me in my tracks near a back alley. I yanked hard and it tugged back. Princess Blaze. She was shockingly fast. "Look, you can't rush in there. We have to be smart."

"There's no time!" I said, pulling my arm free. I started to run, but she jumped in my path. My blood boiled and my head pounded like a rattled hornet's nest. "I don't have time for this! You have no idea what he'll do!"

"Don't I?" she said, pointing out the levelled homes in the neighborhood. "Everyone knows what he's capable of."

A logical part in me conceded. Yet all I could think of was Iblis ravaging my village, swallowing everything whole. "If I can save everyone, I have to try."

"And we'll help. But if you run in there now, then you'll be playing into his hands!"

"I don't care! I have to go!" I said. If Nega had somehow managed to release Iblis another way—"I have to go!"

"Silver—"

"Look, I've seen my family die enough during my nightmares for years!" I said, startling her. "I am _not_ going to see them die while I'm awake. Not again."

She stared at me in stunned silence. I took the opportunity and rose into the air. I turned east toward the grey, stormy Thunder Mountains and sped off, begging that I wasn't too late.

 **A/N:** Pen! Where are you?

 **Sword:** Come out, come out, wherever you are! Oh, peoples! Hey, how'd you like the story so far?

We're on a time crunch here. But we thank you very much for reading it and we'd love to hear what you think of it! Take care!

 **Pen:** *finds his younger self elsewhere* Hey.

 **Young Pen:** Who are you?

 **Pen:** *smiles* A friend. I'm here to help.


	8. Chapter 8: Homecoming

**A/N:** Oh, boy. I can't find Pen anywhere.

 **Sword:** Maybe he decided not to do anything and be nice?

…

 **Sword:** Right.

Yeah. Oh, hello everyone. Don't mind us. Please, enjoy this new chapter. There's absolutely no cause for alarm whatsoever.

 **Sword:** Yeah! It's not like the fabric of space-time is at stake!

Sword…As always, Silver, Blaze, and all related material belong to Sega. Sword, Pen, and the story belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Thank you and enjoy.

 **Chapter 8- Homecoming**

Please make it, please make it, I chanted to myself, willing my body and my power to propel me faster and faster.

Below, the quiet countryside slept, as grass ruffled in the wind and cottages quietly extinguished their lights for the night. I had no time to enjoy the serenity. I was high above, pouring on more speed than I ever had before. My quills trailed behind me, whipping wild in in the wind. I kept my gaze fixated on the ever-growing mountains and my mind on the village beyond them.

Nobody traveled these mountains for good reason. A few from our village had been foolish enough to attempt it and we had never heard from them again. I got close to the mountains once, then thought better of it when I encountered the never-ending storms. The rain had been heavier than I had ever seen and even from the base of the mountain, the thunder had carried clear to my ears as if I was in the center of the storm itself.

I could've circled around the mountains, avoided the harsh weather. But that would take too long. I needed to be at my village now! And if I went above the storm clouds, the air would be too thin for me to breathe. Screwing up my courage, I braced myself for the worst.

All too soon, rain smacked my face. Soft at first, it quickly became icy harsh, stinging my cheeks. I created a bubble around myself, shielding off the rain, but it pounded on the teal glow with no end in sight. It turned into a waterfall, bearing down on me, and even through the shield, it froze me to the very core. Everywhere I looked, gallons of rain, obscuring the view all around me.

Somewhere above the deafening downpour, a thunderclap broke through. I raised my eyes, squinting through the smeared view of the rain-soaked bubble. A streak of jagged lightning broke through the storm, seeming to strike the mountaintop, and again, more thunder, louder than before. It rattled my joints and I faltered in my flight and the shield flickered in and out, letting the rain pierce through and hit me.

No, I had to reach Mammoth Mogul. I pushed on, concentrating more on speed than the shield's integrity, and smacked into a cliffside. The sharp end filtered through a flicker of the shield and jammed into my gut, knocking the wind out of me. I scrambled for a hold as the weather-beaten rock was already crumbling. Scurrying up, I crawled further away from the edge as the edge broke and fell down the mountain. I plopped down, catching my breath for a moment. It was almost like being underwater. Every inhale felt like I was swallowing the sea. My head was heavy and light and I felt woozy.

Lightning struck the mountainside above me. _Keeerrrracck! Crack!_ Several pieces of rock splintered off of the mountain's face from the strike. The pieces were several feet tall, and heavy enough to squash me.

Raising myself on one knee, I held up my hands, catching the rocks that were headed straight for me. They slowed and eventually stopped, despite the rain pressing them downwards. Using all my strength, I threw them over the cliff and away from me. They fell and disappeared into the swirling storm all around.

I wanted to shout at the torrential downpour "You'll have to do better than that!" or something else to fit the scene. But I was too tired, too winded, and who would hear it anyway? Besides that, my side was starting to ache, like I had overextended my healing wounds.

Not know, I thought, rubbing my side. I'm almost there.

Truth be told, I had no idea how far from the top I was. Yet I had come this far. There was no going back now.

Half-blind and forcing myself to focus so I wouldn't pass out, I rose into the air, following the mountain's face. The storm became more furious the higher I went and tried to slap me down with freezing rain. Bits of it stung, like hail was mixed into the rain. I crafted another shield in front of me, weaker this time, but sturdy enough that most of the hail bounced off of it.

After my nerves had long lost all feeling and my body was completely numb, I passed the mountain top. It was a blackened and scorched crater, charred by long years of lightning strikes. I circled around it, not wanting to be caught by any lightning. I had made it. I had actually made it.

My elation was short-lived. The air was thinner up here and my head swam. I couldn't concentrate. My side was splitting and darkness crept into my vision. I shook my head. No, I had to stay strong. I had to make it!

A stream of lightning zig-zagged through the air, striking the mountaintop. It missed me by feet, but the sheer force threw me into a spin. A thunderous boom rumbled above. I tried to right myself, but I was so tired. My body was drained and weary and I couldn't…

The last thing I remember was creating a bubble as I plummeted down into the forest below.

* * *

It was morning when I woke. Branches and leaves were scattered around me. A squirrel sat to the side, stock-still except for its rapid breathing, then scurried up its tree once it was sure I was conscious.

I rolled over, groaning and holding my side. "Ow." I sported several new purple bruises of varying shapes over my body. I was lightheaded and every movement threw the world around. But other than feeling like I was going to hurl, I was okay. The bubble saved me. Thank goodness for that.

I looked up. Above, a me-sized hole cut through the tree branches to the orange sky. And in the distance, the Thunder Mountains glared down with its cloudy brows, daring me to challenge them again.

The mountains. The storm. Home! I hopped to my feet and instantly regretted it. I fell back down, tumbling off the road, my head pounding. I closed my eyes, letting the wave of nausea wash over me.

Slowly, I rose and steadied myself on a tree trunk. I took some deep breaths, waiting for the sickness to pass. Once it did, I stepped back onto the dirt road and turned toward my village.

Flying was out. I didn't need to crash again. So I jogged as fast as I could, ignoring the aches and pains in my limbs. I had to reach the village quickly.

At the slower pace, I couldn't help but admire the forest. It had been years since I had seen it so green, so full of life. Birds twittered in the branches, sunlight peeked through the trees to highlight fresh flower beds, and between the tree trunks, deer and other wild beasts darted through the deep woods. There was a friendly, familiar atmosphere here that worked itself into my bones, warming them like a fireplace, and almost made me feel like a carefree child again, running home after playing all day.

When I neared the forest's edge, I suddenly noticed that the birds no longer chirped and the animal disappeared, retreating far into the woods. I stepped off the road, traveling through the trees and exited the forest. A few stray trees, those trying to branch out from their brethren, wound up a small hill and dotted the valley below. Carefully, I crept up the hill and hid behind the trees, surveying Mammoth Mogul in the valley.

The small village still stood. Every home, market stall, shop, all of it was untouched. Even the distant farmhouses and barns out in the fields were intact and their crops growing well. It was all as I remembered, as I had seen a thousand times in my own timeline, as I saw every night in my dreams. Except the sky was a bright blue, not blood red, and no one was screaming in terror. It was perfect and I sniffed, rubbing my arm across my eyes.

As I was about to go down for a closer look, my skin prickled and my fur stood on end. Something was wrong. No one was screaming, true, but I didn't hear any voices at all. No children laughing, nobody hocking their wares at the market, nothing. Then I looked and saw all the chimneys devoid of smoke. The bakery and the smithy shut down? That rarely happened, if at all. And when I studied the village, I couldn't see one person in the streets.

Again, worry gripped my heart. What had happened? Had Nega done something? If so, where was he? And why did he leave the village intact? It didn't make sense.

I wouldn't figure out anything standing up here. Dangerous and stupid as it may be, I headed into the village. I had to find out what happened.

The streets were dead quiet. I chided myself for the poor choice of words. I peered in the open windows, but the homes and stores were dark and deserted. I knocked on a couple of doors and quietly called inside for anyone. No answer.

As far as I could see, there was no danger. That didn't settle my skin though. A cool breeze swirled through the village, like the cold sigh of Death as it readies its scythe for another soul.

I checked my own house. Locked, and the window shutters were closed as well. It wouldn't be a good idea to break in. What if my family was in there? How would I explain things? Not to mention the dimensional effects of running into myself.

Okay, maybe Nega had attacked. And he left everything standing? Did he only take the people? That seemed odd. Or maybe there was another reason? What if the people hid from some kind of danger and Nega passed them by?

The more I thought of that idea, the more I believed it. If our village was ever in danger, we turn to the village elders. The wisest and senior elder's house was in the middle of the village. Best place to check.

The elder's house proudly took center stage in front of the village square, standing out a little further than the wooden homes around it as an ancient tree does among many saplings and spruces. I knocked, expecting no response. After a couple of minutes, I grabbed the doorknob. That tingling chill crept up my neck again and I looked over my shoulder. Bare streets, a running fountain in the square, and the sense that someone, somewhere was watching.

I opened the door and stepped inside. The two-story home was basically all one room that flowed from a dining room to a kitchen and living room on the first floor. Up the stairs against the side walls at either end led to a bedroom and study. It was spacious enough to house the fifty-odd villagers for a meeting if need be. "Hello?" I called. "Anyone?" Nothing except a faint steady chirp, like insects outside.

I checked the cupboards, the bed, the closets, the furniture, even lifting up rugs hoping to find some trap door where everyone was hiding. Nothing.

Plopping down in a sofa by the fireplace, I stared at the burnt, chalky logs within. Cold. Nobody had been here in a while. Okay, Nega had headed this way, that I was sure of. By all accounts, he hadn't attacked. The town had simply vanished. Why?

As I thought, my mind drifted toward the chirping. The bugs were still alive and around, so nothing terrible had happened to affect the wildlife, right? They had constantly been— Then I listened closer. Those weren't the sounds of insects. It was beeping.

I followed the noise to one of the cupboards, pushing aside cured meat and vegetables. It sounded closer, much closer, but there was nothing in the cupboard.

Looking down, I flattened myself on my stomach and pressed my ear to the floor. The wood thudded as the beeping continued. I also heard some clicking, like something setting into place.

My feet realized what the noise was before my brain processed it. I was flying out the door, streaming above the streets when the explosion went off. The firey blast consumed the village whole and the shockwave swatted me out of the air. I fell and face-planted in the grass outside of town.

Behind me, crackling flames swallowed and savored any buildings left standing. I watched the village burn, burn the same as it had when Iblis swept through it.

I couldn't move, couldn't blink. All I could do was watch it, devoid of any sensation except the heat on my skin and the smoke smell filling the air. For a minute, it didn't occur to me to try to save the village. There was nothing to save.

Finally, I realized that I couldn't let the flames turn into a wildfire. I formed bubbles around pockets of fire, cutting off their oxygen and snuffing them out. It was slow going before I finished. All that was left of the elder's house and the town square was a black, charred piece of earth. The buildings throughout the town were at varying demolished levels. The heavy smoke carried my shattered heart pieces away in the wind.

A shadow darted out of sight behind low, broken wall. I floated over to where it was and found nothing. Peering up through the curling smoke, I spied a flying robot, a small spot against the sun. It had to be Nega's robot. A spy, come to watch the destruction and my demise.

In hindsight, I could've quietly followed the robot in the hope it would lead me to Nega's hideout. I may have even learned what how to stop him for good.

However, in that instant, my vision turned red. Vengeance was my only thought. My hate took control and I shot up into the air. In seconds, I caught up to the robot and grabbed hold of it with my power. The little drone struggled and whined, whirring as it spun this way and that. I shut my hand into a fist and its chassis crushed inward in the middle. Then, winding up my arm, I hurled the machine into the partial roof of a still-standing building.

What remained of the roof collapsed on the robot. A growl in the pit of my lungs burst out and I screamed at the quiet countryside. There was nothing else to take my anger out on. I punched and swung my fists through the air. I crafted long, sharp spears and threw them where the elder's house had been. Right where the bomb had been.

Each spear stuck in the ground and fell over, pulling up a bit of dirt with it. When I had drained myself, I floated down, leaning against a wall. I pushed on it, punching it hard with my fists until my knuckles and bones felt broken. Then I kept going until my gloves became red.

Gone. My home. Gone again.

But not the people, a voice whispered. That gave me a little hope. The bomb hadn't gone off with anyone here. If they got to safety, then everything would be alright. They could rebuild. Things would be fine!

A muffled whir echoed from behind the wall. The robot was still running? I dug it out of the pile of rubble and wood and was surprised it moved, albeit jarred, shaky movements. It kept trying to face me with two yellow dots, which seemed to be its eyes. Yet it kept stuttering, unable to turn. I reached in, turning it myself so that I faced it head-on. Maybe this thing could tell me where Nega was.

A top flap on the robot opened up, revealing a cracked screen with static. The snowy grey lines disappeared and Nega's face slowly came into view. Speak of the devil. It was the man himself. He had cleaned up since I last saw him, put on a fresh coat and slacks, and taken a bath. But he had the same old grey mustache, wrinkled lines crossing his face, and aged, malicious eyes peering over his glasses.

"Oh, looks like you're still alive," he said, more bored than surprised. "You're a tough one, I'll give you that. As stubborn to kill as a roach."

"You're one to talk," I said.

"What can I say? I've always been good at escaping. Let's talk about you though. How was your homecoming?" A nasty, smug smile wormed itself along his teeth. Fear settled back on my shoulders, waiting for the bomb to drop. "Was it everything you hoped and dreamed for? Were Mommy and Daddy thrilled to see you?"

I didn't want to ask, but I needed to know. "Where is everyone?"

He leaned toward the screen. "Are you sure you want to know?" Suddenly, the screen changed to an indistinct, black face, burned alive in agony. I jumped back from the robot, falling onto the floor. The camera zoomed out, displaying the full body in a sterile, white room with a red target behind it. "I needed some live targets to test some new weapon designs on. After all, I have to be prepared when I attack the capital."

"Then, everyone—?"

"Is dead, yes," Nega said. "Or will die soon enough. The gas bombs aren't as potent as I would like." He turned to a droid beside him. "Remind me to revisit that later."

A surge of emotions ran through my veins. Anger, despair, nausea, the clammy realization that I was living out this horrific event again. I couldn't show anything to Nega though. I glared at him, baring my teeth. Grief lodged in my throat, cracking my voice. "You heartless, spineless, sadistic, gutless monster! Why? Why?!"

"I felt like it," he said. "It's been a while since I've wiped a town off the map. Had to loosen up the old joints. It was good too, like slipping back into some nice pants you haven't worn in years."

"I will end you for this! Mark my words!"

Robotnik batted my threats aside. "Spare me the theatrics. I've heard it all before. Besides, I'm not to blame for their deaths. You are." He had my attention and he pretended to examine his gloves, flicking specks off the fingertips. "Yes, it was fun commanding my armies to do what they do best again. But I also did it for you. I knew you would come here. You went on and on every day, always about your village. It was no secret you would come back here. I knew you would. So I prepared a little surprise for you."

"No," I said, shaking my head.

"After all, you know what I'm planning to do. Can't have you interfering, now can I?"

"It's not my fault," I said. "You slaughtered them. You would've done it even if I never planned to come back."

He laughed. "You have me there. I probably would've sooner or later. I can tell you that I will come see you and your friends soon at the capital." He folded his hands and kicked one leg over the other. "I'm looking forward to meeting Princess Blaze and Gardon again."

"You leave them alone," I said, growling. "I'm going to find you and stop you! Permanently!"

Another chuckle. "Your empty threats would almost be cute," he said, then his expression darkened, "if they weren't irritating. Don't worry. I won't harm them. Iblis will."

"Not if you don't have the Sol Emeralds," I said. "We'll get them first."

"Need I remind you that I have an army and ships? What do you have? A brat of a monarch and a capital in disarray. I doubt you'll catch up." I hated that he was right and I wanted to punch his slimey face through the screen. "Don't worry, we'll see each other again when I return to the capital. Or maybe not. Depends on how well a roach can survive." He waved as a beeping emanated from underneath the robot. "Ta-ta!"

I turned and ran a few paces, but the bomb in the machine went off. The blast threw me into a crumbling wall and I went through the wood, leaving a body-sized hole. That was enough to topple the wall and most of it leaned toward me. My vision spinning, I rolled out of the way and the wall collapsed beside me, kicking up dust and dirt.

Then I lay there for the longest time, catching my breath and taking stock of the situation as I recovered. Nega had a head-start and planned to end the world again. We were outnumbered and outgunned. I stared at the destroyed homes, tears trickling down my cheeks, and felt like I had hit rock bottom. Everyone and everything I knew and loved was gone, smoldering around me. What were we going to do?

 **A/N:** Any sign of him?

 **Sword:** None yet.

This is bad. Oh, hello. How are you people? Did you enjoy the chapter? We hope you did. It was a bit different than some that we normally do, especially focusing on one character by himself for a majority of the time. Anyway, we thank you for reading and would love to hear what you think so far. Please let us know.

 **Sword:** I think I see him!

Gotta go! See you all later! Pen! Come back here!

"This Princess sounds very different from the one I heard about," I said as Princess Blaze headed toward the castle gates. "My Gardon painted her as kind and beautiful and just."

"She is all those things," he said. "But she's no good at connecting with people on a personal level. She can talk the part, act the part, but that's all she can do.

Silver says he likes the dark because it covers the land and the horror for a time. Blaze says she actually likes (moon lilies), which grow and shine bright at night, but that she really loves is the sky, because there are millions of stars, representing millions of hopes and possibilities, one which has Silver's future, another where he is happy and they are together?


	9. Chapter 9: Emerald Hunt

**A/N:** Stop right there, Pen! Who's that with you?

 **Pen:** Wouldn't you like to know!

 **Sword:** I'll get him! *runs off*

*wheezes and presses side* Ah, ah, stitch, stitch! Keep going! I'll catch up!...Oh, hello there. Didn't see you people. Welcome and thank you for sticking around with us. Let's, ow, get to it, shall we? Silver, Blaze, and all related material belongs to Sega. Ooo, that stings. The story, Sword, and Pen belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Thank you to A Resistor, MissMJS, SaltwaterJanuary, and KnightofTheWind for their reviews on the previous chapter. And now please enjoy. Ugh, I need to get in better shape.

 **Chapter 9- Emerald Hunt**

It was well past noon when anyone found me. A pair of hands rolled me over and I stared into Princess Blaze's worried face. Gardon appeared too, calling over some soldiers. "Get the physician!"

The next thing I knew, we were in a tent outside of town and I was bandaged again. Princess Blaze and Gardon entered after the physician left and sat beside my bedroll.

"If we're going to keep meeting like this, should we just bring our own bag of medicine for you?" Gardon said, joking. Concern in his eyes betrayed him as he gave me a once-over.

"It's not as bad as it looks," I said. Honestly, I was fine. I sat up, a little bruised and battered, but no worse for the wear. Princess Blaze helped steady me and I propped myself up on a low table in the tent. "Thanks."

"Anytime," she said. "I take it Nega did this?"

I nodded. "Yeah. He got here first and…" I didn't want to say it aloud, nor even think it. "Everyone's…He took everyone and he," I drummed my fingertips on the table, staring at a candle flickering in the center. A cold wind whipped in from the tent's front flaps, snuffing out the flame.

As Gardon tied shut the tent flaps, Princess Blaze re-lit the candle with her fingertip. "I talked to him," I said and looked her in the eye. "You were right. It was a trap. I knew it was, but I couldn't not go."

"I understand," she said, and there was a warm sympathy in her voice that told me she truly did. Far from the stiff demeanor back at the capital when she visited me at the infirmary. "I would've done the same." I still felt awful and hung my head as the memory of the explosion replayed in my head.

"Did Nega say anything?" Gardon asked, sitting beside us.

"Nothing we didn't already know," I said. "He's planning to release Iblis with the Sol Emeralds." And there's nothing we could do to stop it.

"He'll have a hard time without the one from the capital," Princess Blaze said. "The others haven't been found in years."

Of course! I could've kissed her. Although the thought made me bashful in her presence and I turned from the candle to hide my discomfort. "That's right! The others have all been lost to legend. So he can't find them, can he? The only one anyone knows about is in the capital."

"Not necessarily," she said. She grabbed a bag of hers that she had left at the front entrance and pulled out a massive, leather-bound tome. It was a very detailed book, one which I had never seen before, and the cover had the kingdom's crest of a sword slotted into a shield on it. "I took this from the royal library," she said, flipping to a page she had bookmarked. "It's the most comprehensive book of our kingdom's history. Moreso than the books available to the public or universities. Normally, only the monarch is allowed to read it, but desperate times and all."

"It includes the location of the Sol Emeralds?" I asked.

"Not quite, but it includes the last known areas. Here we are." She laid the book bare to us and we gathered over it. She pointed out a specific passage. "Here is a list of where the Sol Emeralds were said to have last been seen. One was in the south, in the marshlands. Another was lost to raiders in the jungle to the southeast."

"One in the Thunder Mountains too," I said.

"Nega would probably go after the easy ones first," Gardon said.

"So if this is the most comprehensive book, then Nega shouldn't know about the others, right?" I asked.

The Princess frowned. "I'm not so sure. He wasn't supposed to know about the Sol Emerald in the capital either." Good point. "We've had break-ins at the royal library before. A few haven't been caught, yet they never stole anything before. So if Nega managed to sneak his dead self back to the capital under our noses, it wouldn't be too farfetched to say that he may have copied the locations."

"And he's about a day ahead of us," I said. "So he will get to them."

"Not quite," she said. "We've already mobilized our forces and sent who we can spare to the other locations."

"That's not nearly enough."

"You're right," Gardon said. "But in case you haven't noticed, Nega isn't popular anywhere."

"I put out a call to the surrounding countries," Princess Blaze said. "Nega has committed atrocities far and wide. Had to amend some treaties and call in some favors, but the other countries were happy to help. Their forces are on the way and should be here within the week."

The plan was sound and I could see a glimmer of hope. But doubt gnawed at my thoughts. "If he spreads out his forces, couldn't he potentially reach them before then?"

"The Sol Emeralds aren't completely undefended," she said, indicating another paragraph in the book. "Each have various traps and barriers to them. The book doesn't detail what exactly, which is good. That means Nega doesn't know what he's in for either."

"Your Highness," a soldier outside called. "Nega's fleets have been sighted north of the capital. A detachment of ships broke off from the main fleet heading east and turned to the southeast."

"So he is splitting up his fleet," Gardon said.

Princess Blaze opened the tent flaps. "Pack up the camp and make ready to leave in thirty minutes." The soldier saluted and ran off. Gardon left as well to gather his own things. A cold gust stole the candle's flame again and I shivered, pulling my blanket tight around me. As she was about to leave, the Princess turned back to me. "Hey, what is it?"

I shook my head. "I just don't know if we can do this. He's got the numbers for now, the speed, and he's been a step ahead of us so far."

"But we're prepared this time."

"I was prepared too. And look around!" I saw the decimated village beyond the flap. "I knew what would happen and when it would happen. That wasn't enough to save everyone. They're all gone."

She took a seat next to me and re-lit the candle. Her hand trailed from the candle down to mine and grabbed my fingers, squeezing them. "Hey, maybe some escaped. He couldn't have gotten everyone. I'm sure he missed a few. It's not a lot, but it's enough that your village isn't dead, is it? There's still life, still people carrying it on in their hearts."

I hadn't really considered that. It could be true. "But my parents. I'm sure he targeted them. He would make sure my whole family was killed."

"I get the feeling any parents of yours would be pretty resourceful," she said, craning her neck to meet my drooping gaze. "Am I wrong?"

"No."

"And with another you helping them, I'm sure they escaped. Because you're pretty resourceful too and can handle yourself."

A small smile broke on my face. "Yeah, maybe you're right."

"Nega's trying to make you give up. Don't let him. You already accomplished the hard part of reaching this dimension. Don't give into him now. Not when we're this close. The best way to avenge your village and ensure those who are gone didn't die in vain is to stop him from causing any more harm, right?"

And like that, a ray of light sliced through the darkness in my mind. She was right. I had vowed to stop Nega from destroying the world again. No matter what he threw at me, I wouldn't stop and the thought of my village only stoked that fire. We would break this cycle of history repeating itself so that no one else had to die. I nodded, rising despite some sore joints. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," she said, rubbing her thumb over my hand. Gardon was mistaken. Maybe she had trouble from time to time, or the weight of her crown was heavy, but I thought she was a good people person. So far, I had witnessed the good in her and enough charisma to rally people to her. Including me. In the light, I saw the same determined fire in her eyes as I'm sure were in mine, spurring my spirit onward. "We better hurry. We have a lot of ground to cover if we hope to get there before he takes the emeralds."

"How do you plan to do that?" I asked.

She cast a sly glance over her shoulder as she left the tent. "Come outside and see for yourself."

* * *

In hindsight, I should've wondered how the Princess and her party made it to Mammoth Mongul in record time. The journey around the Thunder Mountains took a few days by foot if you're pushing yourself as fast as possible. Yet in three hours, we were already nearing the edge to circle around the mountain range in two modified vehicles of Nega's own design.

The vehicles were much larger than the dune buggy that Nega had built in my dimension and seated several on the inside. It was probably the length of three by two buggys wide. There was a ladder on the side to climb into the cockpit of the vehicle and the inside was covered in cool blue lights that made it seem like we were deep underwater, exploring the sea's mysterious depths. I sat beside Princess Blaze, who surprisingly took the wheel.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," I said as Gardon settled in a seat to her left. "Figured you would have someone else drive."

"You must learn about your enemy to defeat your enemy," she said. "Knowing how Nega's machines work means I have a better understanding of how to defeat them. And I would prefer to drive."

"Because we're in a hurry?"

"Because she finds it fun," Gardon said, grinning. She shot him an annoyed look, but there was a speed demon glint in her eye as she started the vehicle. I made sure to buckle up tight.

According to the Princess, the vehicles had no weapons to speak of. "Nega's machines usually have to be damaged beyond repair to take them out. The ones that aren't often self-destruct. Every once in a while, we get lucky and salvage one. We're able to get them running, but can never get the weapons back online."

"The mechanics are too complex for our engineers," Gardon added.

"How many do you have?" I asked.

"A dozen," Princess Blaze said. "It varies how long they run before they shut down completely. Even then, we scrap the vehicles and try to fashion weapons like Nega's."

I glanced back at the soldiers, armed with sword, spears, and bows. "No luck so far."

"No. But at least we can make swords to cut through his metal and spear and arrow tips to pierce a chassis. So there's that."

When we circled the mountain range, the vehicles split up. One headed for the southeast while we took the east. It was flat-out countryside as we passed by the capital. The Princess actually seemed to be enjoying herself as the scenery sped by in a blur. She caught me staring and adopted her straight-laced attitude once more, yet I still spotted a hint of excitement.

The green grass and open fields soon gave way to empty, desert wasteland. Although well past noon, the sun was high in the sky and its glare pierced the windshield, blinding us. The Princess pushed a button on the console beside the wheel and the windshield dimmed, blocking out the light.

I whistled. "Nice."

We rendezvoused with a vehicle full of soldiers that had gone out ahead of ours to secure the Sol Emerald. "Your Highness," a radio crackled on the dashboard. "We haven't seen any sign of Nega yet."

She pushed a talk button on the radio. "None?" she asked and they confirmed the report. "Strange. He couldn't have found the emerald that fast."

"Maybe he gave up and moved onto another one," Gardon said.

"Or cloaked his ships," I thought aloud. We exchanged silent glances and warily watched the skies, afraid that the fleet would suddenly materialize out of thin air and bombard our transports. Nothing happened, which set me on edge. I knew Nega was out there, biding his time, waiting for us to make the first move.

"What about the Sol Emerald?" she asked the other vehicle.

"According to the directions you provided, all we found was an oasis. It's up ahead. Follow us."

In the distance, palm trees swayed in the blistering desert wind around a small pool. We parked the vehicles beside it and climbed out. Once my feet were on the ground, the heat really hit me, toasting every inch of my body.

I raised a hand, shielding my eyes from the sun and peering out toward the horizon. Nothing but sand for miles and miles. If I didn't know any better, I would believe I was back in my own dimension, still scavenging a living among the desolate nothingness.

Gardon slapped my back. "Come on. This way."

The book marked the center of the oasis as the location of the Sol Emerald. It was crystal clear to the bottom, maybe about thirty feet down. There didn't appear to be any jewels in the water though. I looked up at the palm trees, absently wondering if the Sol Emerald was hidden in the pale fronds. Nothing sparkled among them as the white-hot sun shined through the leaves.

We spread out, scouring the sand nearby for any clue, any trace of the Sol Emerald, any sign of Nega's presence. We dug ditches and unearthed large rocks, but came up empty-handed. "It may have been in the oasis. Maybe someone took it a long time ago?" I said.

"No, the emeralds are well-hidden," Princess Blaze said, staring at the water. "It wouldn't be out in the open where anyone would take it." Her eyes darted from one end of the oasis to the other and back to the water's center. "Follow me," she said, then dove into the pool.

I sputtered and shouted, as did Gardon and the soldiers, then I jumped in after her. The water was mild, although compared to the heat, it was cool and refreshing. I crafted an air bubble for myself with my power and pointed my body down

Already, the Princess was at the bottom. I swam toward her and stopped a foot away as she examined the coarse, rocky wall. She turned around, pointing at my head, then hers. I created an air bubble for her and she tapped insistently on the wall, circling a spot with her finger.

I shrugged, unable to hear her and she rolled her eyes. However, I had the idea to connect our air bubbles into one large bubble. I moved next to her and morphed the bubbles together into a misshapen mass that engulfed both our heads. Only after I finished did I realize how close I was to Princess Blaze. Our bodies nearly touched and my nose was inches from hers.

She realized it too and her eyes shifted elsewhere, as did mine. "Sorry," I said. "Let me, just, uh, here." I extended the bubble so that it allowed us more breathing room, so to speak, and put some distance between us. She cleared her throat, attempting to maintain an air of professionalism. Beneath it, I thought I saw a hint of amusement behind her fist.

"So," I said, scratching my cheeks and hoping that would hide instead of bring attention to their rosy color, "what were you saying, Your Highness?"

"There's a pad of some kind here," she said, tapping the spot in the wall again. I examined it closely and sure enough, the section of rock was different from the rest. The crevices around it were hand-made in a complete, zig-zagging oval, as if someone had slotted it into a hole. Otherwise, it seamlessly blended into the rock and without scruntinous inspection, no one would ever know the difference.

"You think it leads to the Sol Emerald?"

"Only one way to be sure." She pushed the pad in and it stayed depressed.

Small streams of bubbles burst out of the ground all around us and the pool rumbled. Sand shot upwards and swirled around and around us like a storm. We were caught in its eye and seemed to be sinking into the sandy floor. "Princess!" I rushed toward her, throwing a large shield all around us. Below, the sand caved away, expanding the pool into a long, dark tunnel.

Suddenly, the force of the water overwhelmed us and yanked us deeper into its new depths. "Hang on!" I yelled.

"To what?"

Good question. No time to think of a good answer. The rapid waters tumbled us around like a rushing river through the tunnel, taking every opportunity to roll us into the walls and roof. The jagged roof and sides threatened to crack my shield. I renewed the damage each time, refusing to let it break.

Princess Blaze and I latched onto one another and spread our legs out, bracing against the constant impacts. The jolts rattled my arms and legs, as I'm sure it did to hers too. Seconds later, we exploded out of the tunnel and were in free-fall. We closed our eyes and crashed into water below.

A few moments passed. During the rush, my heart had leapt into my head, so all I heard was its thumping and my heavy breathing. "Silver," Princess Blaze said. "It's over." I dared to open my eyes. We were alive and safe in a peaceful current. Thank goodness. I wiped my brow with a trembling hand and leaned against her, not really thinking, merely happy that the excitement was over and we were both fine.

We floated to the top and bobbed in the water, looking around. Behind us, the hole we had shot out of dumped the last of its load into the water and dried out.

What really held our attention was our surroundings below the hole. Everywhere in front and to our sides were ancient buildings rising out of the water. An entire city, in fact, that filled a large, expansive cavern underneath the oasis. A sunken city hidden underground!

 **A/N:** *huffs and puffs* Ugh, too much physical exertion for today. I need to sit. Go get him, Sword.

 **Sword:** On it!

Can't believe I'm trusting the fate of time to her. Oh, hello. You all doing good? Hopefully better than me. Thank you for reading the story so far. Let me lean back here. Please let us know what you think of it. As always, we love hearing from all of you.

 **Pen:** *runs by with another Pen*

Wait…


	10. Chapter 10: The Jewel of the Sea

**A/N:**

 **Pen:** Now, all you need to do is scare the author away from making any more stories. Remember the plan?

 **Younger Pen:** Of course. It was my plan.

 **Pen:** Our plan.

 **Younger Pen:** You, me, same thing. *looks out* Oh, looks like the undesirables are here. We can get rid of them.

 **Pen:** No, no. Soon, it won't matter anyway. They won't be our problem anymore. Let's indulge them. It's the least we can do. *clears throat* Welcome, peons. Let's make this quick. The story, Sword, myself, and my younger cohort here belong to the author.

 **Younger Pen:** But not for much longer. Still, I'm sure the author would ask that you please don't use any of us or the story without permission, et cetera. Also, he would thank Silvaze299 and SaltwaterJanuary for their reviews on the last chapter. Go ahead and read the story if you want. We have other plans. *walks off laughing with Pen*

 **Chapter 10- The Jewel of the Sea**

The Princess and I hovered into the air and over to what appeared to be a rooftop. A wooden awning, faded and decayed to a sickly green, was strung around the building on one side, held aloft by log supports slotted into the stonework. As we landed, we looked over the edge. Underneath the water were submerged streets and small homes, their edges eroded so that they were more round than the buildings above the waterline. On the roof and on the walls, glowing orbs lit up the entire city, as if a fire burned bright inside them. Oddly enough, they seemed to be fashioned after the Sol Emerald. We were on the right trail then.

Stairs led up either end of the roof to other buildings. Unlike the buildings' material, the stairs seemed to be constructed out of dried mud and clay. In the distance, decrepit swinging bridges connected verandas and rooftops separated by large portions of water.

I looked around, noting the solid structure of the cavernous area. As far as I could tell, there was no sign of where the water was coming from. I supposed some underground spring or reserve. That would explain why the city was flooded. But why was the city down here? Had it always been here? More importantly, was the Sol Emerald really hidden here?

Princess Blaze seemed to be questioning the same thing. Her eyes narrowed, searching the water for any clue, but the bottom was bare. She rubbed her chin beneath her lower lip that jutted out slightly. The dull water caught a few reflections from the orbs on the walls that then cast sparkles into her eyes, as if she was intrigued with delight at this mystery. It was, dare I say, cute.

"So," she said, catching me off-guard and I turned this way and that, studying the city, "a sunken city in the desert. What are you thinking?"

I fumbled. "Uh, er, that we should start combing the deserts for Atlantis instead of the oceans?" She gave me a side-long look, but chuckled, which made me proud of the stupid joke and warm in my chest. "But how does a city like this get underground?"

A rope unfurled from the hole we had fallen out of. Gardon, carrying the history book on his back, and five soldiers slid down the rope. "Let's look it up," she said.

I floated Gardon and the others over to our roof. While the soldiers gawked at the odd sight of the underground city, the three of us poured over the book. "Guess you're not satisfied finding only buried stuff, huh?" Gardon asked, flipping through the pages. "Got to up the ante and find half-sunken _and_ buried sites."

"Maybe I should become an archaeologist," I said, smirking.

"Here," Princess Blaze jammed a finger to a page, stopping Gardon. "The city of Blue Mirage. Originally built in the middle of the massive Coral Sea a thousand years ago, the city's structural foundation buckled. Historians are unsure what caused the collapse. Popular theories include a design oversight with the materials used, an especially violent sea storm, or damage from the infighting and turmoil in the city as a result of the recently crowned monarch at the time."

"Some legends even talk of a massive sea serpent constricting the city and swallowing it whole," Gardon read, raising an eyebrow. "Still, the exact cause is unknown. What is known is that the city disappeared into the sea without a trace. No pieces of buildings or homes were found, and no bodies were recovered from the tragedy. Since the Coral Sea dried up centuries ago, many efforts have been made to search for the lost city, but none have been found."

"Wait, wait, wait," I said. "This entire city sank into the sea and is right here? Intact?" I waved my arms around at the erect buildings. "How does that work?"

"I haven't any idea," Princess Blaze said. "And it seems neither does anyone else. Regardless, it is here. Maybe we'll discover more if we search the city."

"Good idea," Gardon said, snapping the book shut.

"We should leave some people up top to keep an eye out for Nega."

"One step ahead of you." Gardon pulled out a walkie-talkie from his pocket. "Got this from our vehicle. I ordered the rest of the troops to stay up top and call us on theirs if they spot any trouble."

"Excellent," she said. "Then let's spread out and get to work. Silver and I will start at the far end," she said, pointing to the other side of the cave. "The rest of you, split into two groups. One takes the left side, one to the right," she indicated the stairs. "Meet in the bell tower."

The bell tower in the center of town stood high above any other standing building, like a vigilant sentry. In the rafters, a large bell hung silent. Although surely once a brilliant gold, its luster was long gone and was now only dirty and rusted.

Gardon and the soldiers saluted her, then broke off into their groups. The Princess faced me. "Ready?"

"Yeah." I flew us over to the far end, where we landed on a squat building that the water had already started to overtake. Our shoes splashed in the water and we hurried up a stairway to a building's inner room.

I shook my water-logged shoes, but the chill crept into my toes, through my legs, and into my nerves. I hugged myself and braced the cold. I didn't realize how much a simple chill affected me. Guess that's the downside to living in a scorched wasteland all these years.

"What's wrong?" Princess Blaze asked.

"N-Nothing," I said. "Wishing we had a fire." She snapped her fingers and a small flame leapt to life in her palm, already warming the entire room despite its size. "Thanks," I said, holding my hands out to it.

"You're welcome," she said and headed deeper into the building. I followed the fire, staying right by her side. The flames helped light up the inner walls, revealing larger furniture, such as cabinets, tables, and wardrobes. Beds and benches were built into the walls and carvings of all kinds were etched above them. Some were squiggles and arranged lines that seemed like a language, but neither of us could read it.

"Look at this one," she said, displaying a wall. Her fire grew larger, nearly singing my fur. "Oh, sorry," she said, dialing the fire back down.

"It's okay."

The wall depicted a series of images. The first was the city in what I assume was its prime. Little figures flocked to it like a shining beacon, and the heavens blessed the city with radiance and light. Then the next image showed the same figures fleeing the carved city as it broke and crumbled into the sea. Then, a final carving of the ruined city, a ghostly shell of itself, filled with bodies, and a serpentine creature swirling overhead. Above the city, a purple gem flashed and its aura shielded the city, drawling a clear line between it and the serpent. So the monster could only swim round and round and wait to strike down any survivors that ventured out of the city.

"The Sol Emerald?" I suggested.

"Perhaps. That could be how the city survived. The emerald protected them and prevented the sea from destroying them. It looks like they're using its power somehow to protect them from that serpent as well."

"Maybe there is some truth to that serpent sinking the city?"

"It's hard to believe," she said. "All the same, we should tread carefully."

"Agreed. We better keep moving."

We found some stairs that led to an exit. "I never expected this place would still be intact," she said, looking out a thin slot of a window. "Nor that we would find it. I had heard stories, but those were legends and fairy tales."

"You're in it now," I said, "and every good fairy tale needs a princess."

She smirked as I passed her. "And does that make you a knight?"

I shrugged. "I wouldn't mind that. I thought about being one when I was younger."

"What stopped you?"

"I didn't know if I could do it. And Iblis, of course."

She nodded, her face solemn. "Of course."

We exited the building, arriving at a sagging bridge that crossed to the center of the city. It was old and rickety and I didn't trust the strength of some of the boards. But if we stepped lively across, we should be okay.

Then I looked back at the Princess and noticed her color had paled considerably. That's right, her fear of heights. Her pupils, glued to the bridge, shrank and I racked my brain for a solution.

"Here, why don't we find another way?" I said, pointing back to the stairs. "This thing doesn't look stable."

"It'll be fine," she said. "Besides, we don't have time to dawdle. Nega could show up anytime and we need to find the Sol Emerald first." However, her feet remained planted firmly to the floor. Great, all I had done was reinforce the notion that the bridge wasn't safe. Stupid.

"Uh," I leaned over, waving a hand in front of her, "I could fly you across."

She shook her head at that. "No, no. I've had enough flying through the air today. I'd like to keep my feet on the ground."

Okay, so flying was out. The only way to go then was forward. But how to get her across? I could grab her without warning and quickly take her over. Besides scarring her further, I could lose my hand for doing that to royalty. What if she didn't realize she was crossing the bridge? A blindfold, perhaps? Yet I had nothing on me like that and with my luck, one misstep and it would fall off her. Then we would be in a worse spot. I also assumed she would want to brave the bridge with her eyes open. That was just how she was and I respected that.

Maybe I could distract her somehow. With what though? My eyes scanned the city and I had a flash of inspiration. I took her other hand that wasn't holding the fire and huddled myself close, as if soaking up more warmth. That snapped her out of her frozen state and she looked up at me.

"So what kind of things did you used to hear about this place?" I asked.

"What?"

"You know, the legends you used to hear about. I can't say I've ever heard many, except for some city sinking in the Coral Sea a long time ago."

"Oh, well, many of the legends say it was the crown jewel of the Coral Sea at its height. They traded with nations all around the world and they said the city was a sight to behold."

"Really?" I took a slow step forward and, thankfully, so did she. "I mean, look up. All this seems pretty worn away to be a prosperous city." As she raised her eyes, we stepped onto the bridge. She seized up at the sudden jerk of the ropes from our weight and the creaking of the rotted boards, and squeezed my hand tight, crushing my fingers. I grinned through the excruciating pain as she bent my fingers backwards. "So far, it looks like any normal ruins to me." Her eyes were skipping around and her breathing became labored. She was panicking. Please, Princess, hang in there. You can do this.

"They…they…" she swallowed and took several breaths. "They were inlaid with coral from the sea," she finally said. "Supposedly very beautiful to look at. All sorts of pinks, greens, and blues. Some were even coated in gems."

I took another step forward and much to my relief, she followed suit. Her death-grip didn't let up at all, but it was a start. As we took another, I kept up the conversation. "Wonder what happened to them. Eroded over the years?"

"Likely." Her eyes started to trail down, but I pointed out a rooftop, my arm shooting across her face and tilting her head up.

"Yeah, I think I see some pink up there," I said.

She peered closely. "I think it's just discolored. The survivors from the city must have scavenged the gems and coral before they left for the surface. They also must have carved those images we saw after the city sank, to let future visitors know what caused it."

That made sense. "So the survivors lived here for a while before re-joining the world?"

"That would be my guess."

"But why wait so long to leave? And why leave if you've been in the city for so long?"

She shook her head. "Maybe it has to do with the serpent of legend. My best guess is they waited for an opportune time to sneak past the serpent or for the sea to dry up. As to why they left, well, remember the aura around the city?"

"Yeah, from the Sol Emerald."

"Where is it now?" She was right. There wasn't a trace of it anywhere. No Sol Emerald meant no protection for the city. "I'm sure we'll find more deeper within."

Suddenly, she stopped and stamped her foot. We were on solid ground, the bridge a few feet behind us. She blinked, looking between the bridge, her feet, and me, and then gave me a sincere, warm smile. "Thank you."

"It was mostly you. I didn't have to do much after a while," I said and it was true. "I knew you could do it."

She glanced down, her fingers relaxing, but still holding my hand. "For what it's worth, I think you would have made a great knight." Then she raised her eyes and I found myself entranced once more. Without thinking, I stepped closer to her, close enough that I felt her soft breaths on my cheek. My free hand reached absent-mindedly for her other one hand to hold…

Her fire-toting hand.

I jumped in the air, yelping and dancing on the spot like a mad man. Water! I needed water! The first thing I saw was the water below. I gathered up a large ball of it, too much for my hand. Pain overrode reason and I drenched myself and the entire rooftop in water. Including Princess Blaze.

Once my hand cooled down and I realized what I had done, I apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry," I said as she pushed her sopping bangs out of her eyes. Her fur was soaked and her clothes clung to her skin. "I didn't mean to—It's just the fire and the pain and—"

Although she seemed annoyed and her eyes shot daggers through mine, as I continued begging forgiveness, a noise escaped the corner of her mouth. Was that a laugh? I paused, unsure what it was. Another broke through, then another and soon as she was laughing non-stop, guffawing harder every time she looked at me.

I examined myself and realized I was a mess too. Together, we looked like a pair of drowned rats. Her laughter was infectious and soon I was just as loud as she was, holding my side and begging her to stop. "Ah, ah, it hurts!" I said, in between chuckles. Guess my ribs weren't fully healed yet.

"I'm—hah—sorry," she said, trying to calm down. "Okay, heh, okay. I'm fine now." Princess Blaze cleared her throat and took my burnt hand. My laughs slowly subsided as she traced the ashy marks and the small holes in my glove. "How does it feel?"

"Fine," I said, wincing a little when she brushed a red mark in my palm. We stood there for several moments and I thought we might return to our previous position.

However, she dropped my hand and spun on her heel. "We better keep moving. I can see the bell tower from here." She was right. The tower was a hop, skip, and a jump away and we still had a few buildings to cover.

"Right." I tried to hide my disappointment and not dwell on it. Yet all I could do was relive the moment. "After you, Your Highness."

"Please," she said, "Blaze is fine."

I nodded. "After you…Blaze." And like that I sensed a stronger spark between us as she passed.

She had occupied my thoughts the more time I spent around her. The stories about the Princess truly did her no justice. Captivating was an understatement. I felt like I was falling down some hole that I couldn't escape from and, despite the dangers and warnings, I wanted to continue down it and touch bottom.

"Silver?" she asked from up ahead.

I shook my head. "Coming."

* * *

During the rest of our search, we were quiet and stole glances at one another. I hoped an opportunity like the one before would present itself, but it didn't. By the end, I figured I would have to make such an opportunity myself.

Before I could, we ran into Gardon and his group in the center bell tower. "Find anything?" he asked.

"Only that there may have been survivors from the city sinking and that the Sol Emerald is probably here," Blaze said and explained the carvings.

"Same as us," he said. "We also found one that pointed to the bell tower and had a jewel beside it."

"The Sol Emerald?"

"Could've been. Hard to say for sure. Whatever the case, I would say we should search the bell tower while we wait for the rest."

"Good idea," she said. The guards took the bottom area, while we traipsed up the stairs to the top of the tower and started there. The place was empty, save for the bell, and was open on all four sides for a perfect view of the city. Blaze kept away from the edge and took more interest in the bell.

"It's covered in rust," she said, wiping a finger across it and coating the tip in muddy red flecks. She dusted off her hands.

"If that Sol Emerald carving was next to the bell tower, maybe we have to do something with the bell. Like ring it," I said.

"I'm not sure if it will ring, but be my guest," Blaze said, standing back.

I hefted the bell up with my power and swung it. The wooden beam it was attached to groaned and I feared it would snap off. Thankfully, it held as the bell swung to the other side and the clapper clanked against the bell. It rang with a dull _toom_ throughout the tower and echoed into the town below. We waited and watched the bell and the town, hoping that it illuminated our next path.

 _Toom._

 _Toom._

 _Toom._

The bell halted and we swept our gaze over every building, every street, every bit of water. Nothing.

"Maybe we need to clean it," Gardon said. "I'm sure there's something in the vehicles that could do the job."

I turned to the far edge where Blaze and I had started our search earlier. At the base of the building, small bubbles popped on the surface. A few at first, then dozens as something churned up the water. "I don't think that will be necessary. Look," I said, showing them. The disturbance spread out further, turning the water into a tumultuous storm of bubbles popping as if the water was boiling.

As soon as it had started, it stopped and the bubbling stopped. Nothing seemed to have changed under the water. Then again, we couldn't see very well from here. I wanted to go down and check. Maybe the bell's toll had opened some new area where the Sol Emerald was hidden.

A piercing shriek raced up the stairwell and caught us off-guard. It sounded like one of the soldiers! In a flash, Gardon and Blaze flew down the stairs and I chased after them. At the bottom, the last group of soldiers had burst into the tower and crashed into the other soldiers.

"Whoa, what happened?" Gardon asked.

One of the new soldiers was pale as a sheet and kept babbling nonsense about how he "saw it" and "it almost got me". His search partners tried to calm him down, but he would have none of it.

"What happened?" Gardon repeated.

"We don't know, sir," one of the new soldiers said as the other patted the frightened soldier's back. "We were checking out one of the bottom floors that was covered in water. We hear the bell and figure we better get a move on and meet all of you here. Next thing I know, Pip here throws a fit, says he saw something, then hightails it here, the whole time saying 'it' saw him and followed him."

"And what is 'it'?"

The soldier shrugged. "I haven't got a clue. I thought I saw a shadow in the water, but I can't be sure."

Blaze knelt in front of Pip and his terrified eyes found her. "Ssh," she softly shushed his whimpers and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her palm glowed orange, as if warming him, and the sensation slowed his hyperventilation. "Tell us what you saw."

"A s-snake, Your Highness," he said. "Biggest I ever seen! In the water! It was after me."

I leaned towards Gardon. "Could those bubbles have been the serpent?"

"It's possible," he said. "We may have summoned it."

"Then the legend really is true?"

Outside the tower, something massive rose out of the water, kicking up a high wave. What appeared to be a fin peeked over the wave, then the object splashed into the waters again, throwing a second heavy wave that smacked the tower.

"It's true!" one of the soldiers said.

Another large tail burst through crashing waves. And another and another. All of them hit the surface of the water and soaked the area.

"There's more than one?" Gardon cried incredulously.

Pip screamed. "They're angry! They want us out!"

A warning from very ancient creatures. That couldn't be. But I had seen it with my own eyes. And I no longer felt as confident about obtaining the Sol Emerald as I had been.

 **A/N:** Hey, have any of you seen a writing utensil?

 **Sword:** Kinda cute, has a younger twin.

Uh, there's a lot wrong with that sentence, but I don't have time to go into it. Anyone seen him? No? Great. Well, let's close this chapter out. We thank you very much for reading it and hope you're enjoying the story so far. Please let us know what you think of it. C'mon, Sword. Let's keep searching.

 **Sword:** I'm gonna make a Sword sandwich with them! Oh, Pen! Come out, come out wherever you are!


	11. Chapter 11: The Serpents' Lair

**A/N:** Ugh, I have no idea where he is. Have you found him, Sword?...Sword?...Great, now I lost both of them.

 **Young Sword:** Hihi! Ooo, whatcha doing here?

Oh, no.

 **Younger Sword:** Ooo, a story! I know all about introducing stories! Leave this to yours truly! Hello all you happy peoples! Silver, Blaze, and all related material belong to Sega. Today's story, Pen, and me belong to the author. Please do not use without permission. Okay? Okay. Love ya all! *blows kisses* And thank you to GolfUniformNovember, Midna Azusa, A Resistor, and SaltwaterJanuary for their reviews on the previous chapter.

C'mon. Maybe you can help me find your older self.

 **Younger Sword:** Roger-roony!

 **Chapter 11- The Serpents' Lair**

From atop the bell tower, we could see the shapes in the water below. Long, monstrous shadows that slithered through the streets, circling our position nonstop, waiting for us to make the first move. On the bright side, they had stopped thrashing. I also noted that none of them seemed as large as the serpent of legend that sank the city. Offspring, perhaps?

Right now though, we were more concerned with leaving. "We should just go back the way we came. Climb up the rope," one soldier said and pointed at me. "He could fly us up there one by one."

"That hole is well within their reach. You would have to get close to them to climb out. And if these things are longer than they appear?" Gardon asked, looking at each soldier in turn. "They could break into that tunnel and swat you off the rope. Or swallow you whole like a worm on a hook."

"What about digging a way out?" another suggested.

"We're too far underground," a third soldier argued. "We need tools to get out of here."

"Surely there's some explosives in the vehicles. Or their weapons—"

"Are all disabled, remember?" Gardon said.

I half-listened to the arguments from the stairs and looked out one of the slotted windows at where the bubbles had appeared. Every now and then, the tip of a fin broke the water's surface, reminding us of the danger, and then would surf through the water, dipping beneath slowly and leaving a large wake that soon settled. Then the water was calm again, like clear, green glass.

Blaze noticed my absence in the discussion. "What are you thinking?" she asked, standing beside me.

"Those things appeared after the bubbles died down," I said. "They weren't here before, which means that bell freed them. So there must be some gate to a room or some grotto on the other side. Maybe even a way out."

The magic words reached everyone's ears. The group's arguments died on their lips and they listened closely.

"And if there isn't?" she said.

"Then there's something important on the other side. Something worth keeping safe." I gave her a knowing look and she understood.

"The Sol Emerald."

"That would explain why no one has ever found it," I said. "The serpents are protecting it."

"And just how do you propose we get there?" Gardon asked. "Don't suppose you can knock out the wall."

"There's only one way through," I said and all their eyes turned toward where the gate would be. I could already see the fear swallowing some of the soldiers whole. They wanted to flee, but put on a brave face for their Princess. The rest were in the same boat as me. Terrified beyond belief, yet we knew this was our only option. That simple fact stared us down with its ugly face and we had to meet it, no matter how repulsed we were by it.

I spoke up before any of the soldiers lost their nerve. "I-I'll go," I said, my voice croaking. I coughed and repeated myself. "I'll go. I can create some shadow forms as a distraction if I need to. If all of you get up somewhere high, but close so you can tease them and make as much noise as possible to draw them away, I just might have a shot."

"And if they come after you?" Gardon asked.

"Scream loud enough and they won't," I said, dodging the thought of that frightful outcome. "We better hurry. Otherwise, they might use those tails of theirs to knock over the tower and bury us alive."

Gardon sighed. "Very well." He rounded up the troops and sent them off to find high spots that were out of danger. He glanced back before leaving, his worried eyes hoping that I made it back. I assured him with a nod that I would.

I was happy they left first. My knees were about to give out and a cold wave of nausea settled in my stomach. I reached out for something to hold onto and found Blaze. I had forgotten she hadn't joined the others.

"Are you okay?" she asked, helping me sit down.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I said. "Yeah, no problem, yeah." That was too many "yeah"s and she easily saw right through it.

"You don't have to do this," she said.

"I know I don't, but it'll be okay." I shoved the image of a gaping maw of a giant snake out of my mind.

"We can try to find another way."

"Like you said, Nega could show up any time. If the Sol Emerald is in there, we can't afford to wait."

"We could let him deal with this, then swipe the Sol Emerald before he can get to it."

Appealing as they sounded, it wouldn't work. Nega had too many robots at his disposal and too many guns. "He could take it before we have a chance. And we would be outnumbered. It's too risky." And he would likely expect that of us.

She bit her lip, as if she wanted to protest, but deep down knew that I was right. She looked at her hands in her lap and gave the same heavy sigh that Gardon had. "Please be careful then."

"I will," I said. "Be sure to yell at the top of your lungs for me."

"Of course." She leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on my cheek. I blinked and the next moment, she had pulled back, her face a mixture of deep concern, pain, and something else. "Stay safe." She rushed out to find a spot to distract the serpents as well, leaving me to sit there, rubbing the spot on my cheek softly and grinning despite the impending suicide mission.

What on Earth was I doing?

* * *

Whenever I attempted to stand on the building above the underwater gate, the serpents swarmed around the gate, fiercely protecting it. No amount of taunts or calls from the others could change their minds. This reinforced my belief that the Sol Emerald must be on the other side.

The only way to distract them was to climb to the top of the bell tower, far out of their sight. Then the serpents split up, following the echoing yells from the others on rooftops and bridges. They never raised their heads above the water, only their tails. Blaze stood on one rooftop, calling down as what seemed like a third of the serpent's body rose out of the water. It just cleared the building and swatted at her. I wanted to run over and help, but she hurried inside the building, escaping before the tail touched her.

I breathed easier and returned to the task at hand. I had to hurry or someone could get really hurt. Staring at the water below, I checked the distance to the underwater gate. A good hundred yards or so. And these things moved with lightning speed around corners and through the water.

I waited until the serpents were in the far corner of the city. Once they were, I said a short prayer, held out my arms, and dived into the water. The chill once again wormed its way into my core. No time to focus on that. Had to move quickly.

Putting one arm in front of the other, I swam as fast as I could, with no idea if the serpents realized I was in the water or how far away they were. I had to keep swimming for all my worth.

One block passed by. Then another and another. If my heart was thumping so loud in my ears and every passing shape didn't seem like a deadly predator, it would almost be peaceful down here. The buildings were simple on the bottom and the kid in me thought it would be fun to dart in and out of the windows and doorways, playing underwater hide 'n' seek in the shadowy homes.

Hide 'n' seek happened sooner than expected. I felt a powerful surge through the water, like a humongous object was darting toward me. I swam faster, hoping to outrun it. The gate was ahead, less than forty yards away. The force gained on me and I thought I could hear a hungry rumbling around the corner.

Crafting a shoddy doppelganger, I flung it behind me and it zoomed backwards, off into the waters and around a corner. Cutting to the side, I dove for safety into one of the buildings and crouched beside a window, wishing the beast to pass. The building shook at its roots and I held on.

Slowly, slowly, the surge seemed to pass and fade away. The monster had taken the bait and I relaxed. Or I wanted to relax. Something was off. The water was eerily still and a looming shadow darkened the area.

Then I saw it. I could scarcely believe my eyes and I blinked several times, hoping my fear was imagining things. A sea-green mammoth of a serpent slithered past and its body never seemed to end. Its scales like thousands of glittering gems and spiny blue fins running the length of its back that folded and sprung to life, communicating its malicious intent. What struck me cold were its sickly yellow eyes, with a sliver of a pupil, that seemed to see all and regard everything with cold disinterest. Everything was a toy, a plaything before it. Or food.

The serpent swung its head side to side, checking the buildings, its searchlight eyes glowing in the depths. Please pass, I urged it. Please pass.

It swam past me, then stopped, and turned around. I cursed my luck and carefully moved away from the window, sticking to the shadows. The serpent seemed to have my scent. It swept across the buildings, glaring at each with a penetrating gaze. Could they see in the dark? I assumed so and prayed I was hidden enough.

My lungs ached for air. My head was starting to feel light and I didn't have much time. The serpent opened its mouth, a muffled hiss rolling off its silver tongue. I could create another doppelganger, but the light might attract the serpent before I was ready to move. Yet if I was quick, I could make a poor one by the entrance, quickly throw it, then swim like lightning—

The serpent reared its ugly head in the doorway.

Crap. It saw me.

For a long moment, neither of us moved. The serpent flicked its tongue, opening its mouth partly, enough to see the bottomless gullet that awaited me if I got caught. I searched the building. There were stairs to my right. A window to my left that led to a dead end.

The serpent hissed and jammed its head in. I swam up the stairs. Its tail waited for me up top. I saw another set of stairs and tore up them. No serpent up here. Yet.

The building shook and rocked me around. I raised my hand, a green body emerging in the water. Not enough time for detail. As soon as it had some vague quills and my body shape, I sent it out the third story window, then swam back down to greet the serpent's tail.

Edging to the window, I hid in a corner. The serpent rounded on my creation and snapped at it. Taking my chance, I swam like mad for the gate.

However, the water behind me swirled and I dared to look back. The serpent had realized the glowing body was a fake. It found me in the water and coiled into a spring. Then it shot forward at me, its body swaying in the water, left and right as if trying to fake me out with which side it would attack.

Twenty yards to the gate. Almost there. The serpent was already on top of me. It raised its head, gauging its target, and striked.

I put up a round, teal ball and it sank its fangs into it. I kicked the ball further into its mouth, blocking its throat. That should hold it, and I flipped around, concentrating on the gate.

The serpent swirled around, attempting to break the ball into pieces. I stopped powering it, instead pouring my focus into my speed. The serpent snapped the ball and it showered into dozens of light fragments. Its murderous eyes zeroed in on me and if snakes could growl, I thought it would.

I ran smack into the wall and felt the rocky surface. Where was the gate? It should be here. My chest was on fire and I couldn't last much longer. Where was this gate? Not above or below me. It was off to the side, several feet away. And the serpent was shooting toward me, throwing his all into one last effort.

So did I. I swam like no tomorrow, slicing through the water with all my strength. The serpent opened its jaws and I entered through the open steel gate. Home free!

Or so I thought until I remembered that the serpent could fit through the gate too. It had first entered the city through the gate.

The serpent chomped shut and I tucked my legs in close, barely avoiding its sharp fangs. I had to stop it. My eyes landed on the gate and I grabbed it with my power. The thing seemed stuck and it was hard to focus when I was staring down a deadly creature like this. Not to mention my vision dimmed, zoning in and out as my body begged for air, on the verge of blacking out. At least I wouldn't know that I was being eaten alive in that case.

Again, the serpent opened its mouth wide. I jerked the gate loose and it slammed its weight onto the serpent. It must've been made of something heavy, for it trapped the beast underneath it. The serpent thrashed wildly, whacking its head against the walls and the gate, desperate to free itself. But it wasn't going anywhere. It was stuck tight under the gate and I could breathe easier.

Instead, I rose above the surface and breathed heavily, sucking down as much air as my lungs could hold. I flopped onto a bit of ground like a dying fish and rolled over, calming down from the intense terror I just experienced.

Below the surface, the water stirred up angrily, but all the serpent could do was struggle. I had won. For now.

Sitting up, I looked around. The ground I was on narrowed into a single-person walkway along the wall further into a large recess and ended in a flat wall. I shot a ball of light into the air, illuminating the place and saw nothing besides rock and water.

Didn't really have time to waste sitting around. Protest though my body may, I rose to my feet, hunched over still, and walked deeper into this new cave. By the time I reached the end, I hadn't seen hide nor hair of anything. No exit, no Sol Emerald. Only a dead end.

I checked the water, wishing for at least an exit. I couldn't see much in the dirt and darkness and I dreaded the thought of climbing back in. But I had to be thorough. With that thought, I crawled back into the water. Thankfully, my nerves were too far frozen to care about the sudden chill rushing up my spine.

The bottom was a mixture of dirt and rock that had crumbled off the cave over the years. I sifted through it, here and there, digging up what I could. In the far back corner, I found something gleaming among the dirt.

With a shaky hand, I brushed over the mud and found a shimmering gem, the same cut and brilliance as the one at the castle. Only this one was a royal purple that seemed to belong on top of a scepter or woven into a beautiful tapestry. I picked it up and swam to the surface, climbing out of the water.

I brought my light closer to the gem and inspected it. Once I had washed and wiped away the mud and gravel so it shined all the brighter, there was no doubt. This _was_ the Sol Emerald. It only made sense to hide it here, guarded by these serpents. I smiled at this victory.

However, that still didn't get us out of here. There hadn't been any sign of another passage underneath the water. So what did we do now?

I sighed and tucked the emerald away. For now, I needed to re-group with the others. They must've been worried and I didn't want them taunting the serpents for long. These creatures might get fed up and lash out more violently.

The gate was surprisingly easy to bypass. I stuck close to the wall while swimming and stayed out of the trapped serpent's reach. The serpent's thick body held the gate up enough that I could squeeze through without too much trouble. Once out, I quickly flew out of the water and headed to the bell tower, rounding up everyone else on the way.

When the group assembled, everyone started grilling me for answers. I explained the cave and how it was a dead end, and showed off the Sol Emerald. Some of the soldiers marveled over it and Blaze smiled. "Well done," she said and seemed relieved.

"Thanks," I said, handing it to her.

"Well, we're one step ahead of Nega now," one of the soldiers said.

Another grumbled and looked forlornly outside. "Doesn't matter much if we can't escape. We're back at square one."

"I'm not so sure," I said. "The only way to the Sol Emerald was past the serpents, right? A way to ward off thieves. But what if it was one of the people who lived here?"

"I see what you mean," Gardon said, tapping his chin. "If one of the survivors ever came back for the emerald, they wouldn't trap themselves. They would have a way out or a method to beat the serpents."

The only question was where would they go? According to everyone else, nothing about the city had changed while I had been in the serpent's caged area. Was there some other way out already that we had overlooked?

Blaze examined the Sol Emerald, her eyes intent and thoughtful. Then I saw the lightbulb shine on her face. She turned to Gardon and the soldiers from his group. "You said you found a carving of the bell tower and the Sol Emerald?"

"Yeah," Gardon said. "It seemed to be pointing at the bell tower. But we know why that is. You ring the bell, the serpents are released, and if you can make it past them, you get the emerald."

"Then wouldn't the bell tower be pointing toward the Sol Emerald?" she asked. We looked at each other. "And," she pointed to me, "we found a carving where the Sol Emerald shielded the entire city, protecting the survivors from a giant serpent."

"I remember," I said. "It was high above the city."

"And where's the highest place in the city?"

We looked up into the rafters of the bell tower. "No way," I whispered. It made sense though and was worth a shot.

In minutes, Blaze, Gardon, and the other soldiers were watching from beside the bell and the stairs as I flew around the bell tower's roof. So far, I hadn't seen any place to use the Sol Emerald. "Try looking higher," Gardon said.

Floating upwards, I searched the very top and found it. Right under the point of the rooftop, there was a tile that slid out. I checked the other three sides and found tiles that also slid out of place, leaving behind a perfect-shaped slot for the emerald.

"Found it!" I called down. "Here goes!" I slid the emerald into place, moved back a little, and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

"Nothing's happening," one of the soldiers said.

Thanks for pointing out the obvious, eagle eye. I twisted the emerald, this way and that, pushing it into different combinations. Without warning, the emerald suddenly flashed a brilliant purple light, blinding me. Guess I found the right one.

I dropped down to everyone else's level and as the black spots faded from my sight, the emerald's light swallowed the top of the bell tower. It looked like a large candle, illuminating the city and walls in an otherworldly color.

The light reached the orbs shaped like Sol Emeralds in the walls and ceiling. They caught the light and reflected it off one another, bouncing the brightness throughout the city and in the water, until the whole cave was overlaid in a violet hue. The serpents, wherever they were, didn't disturb the display and watched with bated breath with us.

"What now?" Gardon asked.

I didn't know. The purple light extended to every inch of the city and still there was no way out. Okay, we had had a little light show, so what next?

A bit of sand fell on my head and I brushed it off. More fell and I looked up. Above the tower, where a particularly bright orb caught my eye, a thin trail of sand fell through the air, silent and steady, onto the roof of the tower. Blaze noticed it too and by then, the trickle of sand had grown into a wide column.

Cracks appeared in the ceiling, snaking their way through the orbs, and forming with an Earth-shattering _ker-raaack!_ The middle of the ceiling split into two uneven slabs and lifted into the air, dumping bits of sand on us. The far ends of the slabs at either side of the cave swung down, upending the desert above and into the water, building large sandy hills. The slabs scooped the water's surface, breaking it into two halves, then stopped when they were perfectly parallel to one another's rocky surface.

And like that, the hue disappeared over the city and the light receded into the Sol Emerald. I grabbed the gem and floated back down to Blaze and Gardon, marveling at the new exit with them.

Blaze was the first to react and break the spell. "We better hurry. Those things won't stay open forever."

* * *

It took us a while to climb up the slabs, using the orbs as handholds. Blaze commented on the genius of the ancient people and how inconspicuous the orbs were. "Using the orbs to climb out," she said, shaking her head.

"Never would have guessed that," Gardon added.

I heard most of the soldiers grumble through the trek and more than one shot me the evil eye as I flew past them. Then again, they had been more than grateful to accept my help bypassing the beginning of the slab climb near the water, where they would have been prime targets for the serpents. I didn't pay attention to them and zipped out of the cave, arriving at the top to help the others out.

The soldiers Gardon had left above surrounded the hole, pestering us with questions and exclamations. Yet my interest was Nega. I scanned the skies, expecting his fleet to at least be on the horizon. But it was all clear, baby blue all around.

Blaze's first question when she finished the climb was "Where's Nega? He should've been here by now." All the soldiers up top shrugged.

That didn't make any sense. Last report said he was far ahead of us. Even if we arrived beforehand, he should've been here by now. The soldiers swore up and down they hadn't seen him as we headed back to the vehicles.

"We've been watching the skies closely," a troop leader said. "I've had my scouts out for hours, but there's no sign of him."

"Any word on the radio?" Blaze asked, entering the driver's seat.

"None so far," the leader said. "We did get a brief call from our unit in the White Jungle southeast. Since then, no contact and no update from them."

As if on cue, the radio interrupted the conversation. "Now I wouldn't say that."

The voice was unmistakable. Blaze hit the push-to-talk button on the radio. "Nega."

"Your Highness," he said, his mocking tone oozing over the speaker. "Is Silver there as well? Did he survive your little excursion?"

"I'm here, you soulless wretch," I said.

"Good. It would be such a shame for you to die now, my little pincushion. The fun hasn't even started. It's nice to talk to you both again. I'm sorry we missed each other, but I couldn't resist a safari trip through the jungle. Lots of interesting wildlife here, local legends, and the natives are quite hospitable. We even joined up with another sight-seeing tour."

Blaze growled. "If you harmed my people, I'll—"

"Settle down now, Your Highness. Your people are fine. Well, some of them are fine. I'll let one of them explain."

A new voice was shoved onto the phone, a stoic, calm person who muttered some curses at Nega. "Apologies, Your Highness. I fear he got the jump on us. His ships appeared out of nowhere."

Cloaked, I would wager. That still didn't explain how he fooled the scouts who reported his fleet heading east.

"He has the Sol Emerald from the jungle. He already knows you have the other one." I glanced by habit out the window, afraid of a drone nearby. Not that I would be able to see one anyway. He would keep any drones high and out of view. "Nega demands you bring your Sol Emerald to him. Or else."

"Or else what?"

A gunshot rang out and a body dropped to the ground on the other end. Blaze gasped and my voice caught in my throat. "Or else I start eliminating everyone here in the most violent ways I can think of," Nega said. "And believe you me, I have quite the imagination. Isn't that right, Silver?" He paused, letting the situation sink in. "You have three hours to make it here. Better move. Tick-tock."

 **A/N:**

 **Younger Sword:** Wow. That was really scary!

 **Sword:** Yeah! Chilling!

 **Younger Sword:** You're me!

 **Sword:** And you're me! Girl, we are gonna have so much fun! Let's go play games!

Wait! What about…Pen…Crud. Now what to do? Well, while I keep working, please let us know what you think of the story. Thank you very much for reading and have a good day. I better retrace my steps. Maybe I can find him this time.


	12. Chapter 12: Pricey Exchange

**A/N:** Well, this is a fine mess. Everybody's missing and we're stuck in the past. How can this get any worse? And why do I feel like somebody is behind me? *turns around* Oh, hello all you kind people. Hope you're enjoying the story so far. Don't mind me. I'm a little paranoid at the moment. Let's get down to it, shall we? Silver, Blaze, and all related characters belong to Sega. The story, the Swords, and the Pens belong to me, so please do not use them without permission. Thank you to SaltwaterJanuary for the review on the last chapter. And now, please enjoy. Hm, I still feel like someone is watching me.

 **Pen:** That's because they are.

Crap.

 **Chapter 12- Pricey Exchange**

Blaze drove like the devil through the desert and toward the White Jungle as evening settled in. We spotted the line of pure albino fronds within a couple of hours and burst through the trees. True to its name, the jungle was populated with white plants of all kinds that looked like crestfallen snow had blanketed the area. Or that the plants themselves were dying. Snowy bushes and vines raced past the window, and above us, a glowing white canopy soaked in the moon's beams and blanketed the starry sky. Shadows of creatures darted out of our path, climbing up vines or scurrying along the white bark of tree trunks.

Nobody talked throughout the trip. The soldiers were silent and seemed to be replaying Nega's threat and the death we heard. I did the same, wishing, hoping that everyone else was all right and that we could make it in time. Blaze gripped the wheel tight enough to break it and Gardon's worried frown deepened when he checked on her. I wanted to say some word of comfort to them both, to all of them, that I knew this Nega and we could stop him.

Then again, Nega had continued to surprise me with each new level of depravity and vile act. I never realized the depths he would sink to in pursuit of world domination. All the years with us must have festered his hateful, vicious nature under the surface. I swallowed any empty words and watched scenery pass, preparing for our encounter.

We located a trail deeper into the jungle, with muddy tire imprints that had torn up the wet ground and grass. "It's got to be them," Gardon said and pointed to the left. "Judging from the tracks, they went that way."

In the distance and through the gaps of the treetops, the peak of a mountain rose above the canopy like a golden sun resting on fluffy clouds. As we neared it, we realized it was man-made. "A temple?" I asked.

"Must be," Blaze said and looked back at Gardon. "Check the historical record, but I believe a party that was carrying the emerald was raided by a local tribe in the jungle."

Cracking open the tome, Gardon ran his fingers through passages and nodded. "Yes, you're right. The tribe was the Yuda Tribe, believed to have a hidden city in the jungle, filled with countless treasures they collected over the years. One captured prisoner of the party transporting the emerald said the city had a massive temple in the center that reached for the heavens, where the villages made offerings to the divine."

"Does it say anything about how he got there or what was inside the temple?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. The prisoner was blindfolded and released on the outskirts of the jungle shortly afterwards. Although he goes on to describe his interactions with the people and how they were peaceful, for the most part."

Up ahead, the trees stopped abruptly at a clearing near the temple. Blaze pressed the brake down and we slowed to a stop. "We should hide the vehicles," she said.

"Might not do much good," Gardon said. "He could have spies among the trees and in the sky. He knows we're coming."

"I'm sure he does," she said. "However, I have a plan." She radioed the other vehicle and ordered them to follow directly behind her. Then she maneuvered between the trees, careful not to crash into any trunks and shake their boughs, alerting Nega.

"So what's the plan?" I asked. "Come at him from the jungle?"

"Not quite," she said, searching for a good, wide spot to park the vehicles. "I'll talk a handful of the soldiers with me while the rest of you stay in here. We'll camouflage the vehicles and head on to meet Nega. I'll tell him that I took the vehicles and raced over here with the Sol Emerald."

"No way!" I said. "That's suicide!"

"I agree," Gardon started, but she cut us both off.

" _Listen_ ," she said, parking in some dark shade and shutting down the engine. "While I'm talking to Nega and distracting him, you two will each lead a group of soldiers on either flank to get behind him. With any luck, you can smuggle our people out. At the least, we'll have him surrounded."

"And Nega is supposed to buy that you ran off ahead of us just like that?" I asked. "He won't at all. I know him."

"I know him too," she said. "He may not be our Nega, but he is still mostly the same person. I can convince him."

"I've already run off before once," I argued. "He'll buy me doing it again."

"You did that for your village. He'll accept that I would do the same for my soldiers. It's not the first time I've rushed into the thick of it for my people." On her other side, Gardon nodded in agreement. "That's the end of this discussion. Say one more word, either of you, and I'll singe off every inch of your fur." She chose one of the soldiers to accompany her from our group, then radioed for two soldiers from the other vehicle and the rest to stay put.

Singed fur or no, I couldn't let her leave on her own. Risking it, I grabbed her fingertips and held her back. "Blaze," I said softly, "please."

She sent the soldier on ahead and leaned in close to me, gripping my hand tight. "You've already put yourself in harm's way enough," she said, almost tenderly. "It's my turn now. What kind of leader would I be otherwise?" The last part seemed to be for Gardon's benefit, who watched us suspiciously out of the corner of his eyes.

She hopped out of the vehicle without giving us another chance to protest. She and the three soldiers covered the vehicles in branches and fronds until no one could see us and we couldn't see anything outside "Leave in ten minutes," she said, then they went ahead to the temple.

"I don't like this," I said.

"She has a point," Gardon said. "Someone needs to rescue the other soldiers."

"We don't need to sacrifice her to do it."

"We won't," Gardon said. He gave me a conspiratorial look and I scooted in closer with the rest of the soldiers. "I have an idea."

* * *

Ten minutes later, my group halted at the edge of the clearing on the right side of the temple. Gardon had circled around to the other side, per Blaze's instructions. Although we had brought walkie-talkies, we had thought it best to maintain radio silence except for an emergency in case Nega tapped into our lines.

Gardon had reasoned that Nega would also be expecting an ambush, or some sort of reinforcements for Blaze. So, we would play into that belief. Whoever reached the clearing first was supposed to back-up Blaze and hold Nega's attention. Meanwhile, the other group would rescue the soldiers, as we figured one group was enough to accomplish that task.

I searched for Gardon's signal on the other side of the clearing that he had finished the trek around to the temple. The trees were still and silent. Hurry up, I begged.

Meanwhile, Blaze entered the clearing with her soldiers and took shelter behind an abandoned hut, constructed of packed mud, cut tree trunks, and large leaves. The village had long been abandoned and there were ruined foundations from huts that had been destroyed in the past. The jungle had encroached on the clearing in that time and some of the homes were already separated by clusters of tall, swaying trees.

Blaze peered out from behind a corner and directed her people to other huts. No sign of Nega so far. I scanned the skies, afraid of more cloaked ships. If there were any, they were very quiet and well hidden. Normally, I wouldn't have minded a night-time operation, as that hid our movements from enemy eyes, but it was a double-edged sword now. It shrouded any distortions caused by a cloaked ship or grew lengthy shadows for a foe to wait to spring on us. On the other hand, if there was a massive army prepared to strike, we were already in trouble and it was too late to turn back.

Carefully, Blaze crept to the temple, leading the soldiers up the stairs and to the entrance. I checked for Gardon's group, but there was no sign of them. Where was he? This was his plan. If he didn't show up soon, we would have to rescue the prisoners and Blaze's group would be on their own.

At the top of the stairs, Blaze waved the soldiers to either side of the entrance. The temple was larger up close and more formidable. Nega could have an ambush waiting in the wings as soon as they stepped in. I held onto a tree trunk and bit my knuckle, worrying non-stop as they entered the temple. I wondered if this was how Blaze and Gardon had felt during my swim with the serpents.

Minutes passed. Long tortuous minutes as we waited on Blaze and Gardon, alone with only the thumping of our nervous hearts. The soldiers behind me kept exchanging unsure glances. I debated running head-first into the temple. Forget the plans. Blaze was in trouble, I knew it.

I turned around to the soldiers. "Okay, be ready to move," I said. "Surround the temple and locate the prisoners. I'm going after the Princess and the others."

"Wait, look," one of the soldiers pointed over my shoulder. Spinning around, I saw Blaze exit the temple with all her soldiers intact. I placed a hand over my heart and took a deep breath. Thank goodness.

Her group seemed confused and sans any hostages. And Nega hadn't appeared either. "Nega!" Blaze shouted, searching the surrounding jungle. "Show yourself!" No response.

This whole thing smelled rotten and I feared we really were in the center of a trap, waiting for it to snap closed.

As if Nega himself heard my thoughts, a blue laser blast struck the top of the temple, piercing through the stone and cutting off the peak. Blocks rolled down and the peak tumbled after, directing its dull, heavy point at Blaze's group.

She and her soldiers fled down the stairs, narrowly escaping another blast that blew chunks out of their side of the temple. This time, the shot came from a different direction. Nega had us surrounded!

Then I saw it. In the distance, small red ships started to rise from the jungle, giving themselves wide berths. In the empty middle, the sky itself seemed to disintegrate, allowing Nega's flagships to emerge into being and become blood-red shadows against the starry backdrop. Two total, one to the north and one to the south. Instead of catching him in a pincer, he had caught us.

One of the smaller ships, a red biplane manned by a robot, headed for Blaze, as if to attack. I jumped forward, ready to move her and the soldiers out of the way. At the last moment, the plane stopped and so did I on the edge of the clearing, hiding behind a pair of tree trunks.

On top of the plane, lights deployed from the wings, illuminating the once-lively village. The pistol drew a pistol, aiming it at Blaze. In the back of the plane, Nega stood up and bowed to Blaze. "Ask and I shall answer, Your Highness. I'm glad you could make it." He raised an eyebrow at her small squad. "Will the rest be joining us soon?"

"I came alone with these volunteers," Blaze said. "We couldn't afford to wait."

"How noble of you," he said, stroking his gray mustache. I hoped for everyone's sake he bought her tale. Without Gardon, we would have to rely on Nega taking her at her word. His posture didn't indicate if he did or not. I smacked the tree, frustrated and wondering where on Earth Gardon had vanished. If he had been found by Nega's troops, I shuddered to think what would happen to him. Or us. "I trust in your haste, you didn't forget the Sol Emerald?"

"I have it. I do have one question." He nodded to her request. "How did you get here?"

"You mean, how did I fool your scouts?" he grinned. "Oh, it was nothing really." His eyes gleamed, like a child who wanted to reveal a secret only he knew, yet was unsure if there would be repercussion. In the end, he threw up his hands. "Why not? I've been wanting to show this off anyway."

He pointed to one of his flagships in the sky. "Keep your eye on it," he said and produced a walkie-talkie from his coat, calling the ship's radio. "Create a copy."

Before our eyes, a second ship materialized out of thin air beside the flagship. It was an exact match in length, shape, color, even the position of its guns. "It's a new trick I've had in the works," he said, enjoying Blaze's dropped jaw. I closed my own mouth and stared at the ship. It would be an amazing piece of technology, if it wasn't in such terrible hands.

"My predecessor almost had it finished. He was further along than I was in my timeline. A few adjustments needed to be made to complete it and voila."

The more I studied the mimic flagship, the more I wondered if it was the only copy in the sky. Sure, Nega could pump out robots at a rapid pace, but after his raid on the castle, could he be supplementing his forces? Blaze's curious face told me that she had the same idea.

However, Nega dashed our hopes. "I know what you're thinking and the answer is no. None of my ships up there are fakes. They are the real deal. I assure you of that." He ordered the flagship's copy to disseminate and it faded into nothingness, leaving behind a section of small fighter planes. "I've shown you my little secret. So let's see that emerald.

"First, I demand to see my people," Blaze said.

Nega nodded and ordered another ship by walkie-talkie. "Bring out the prisoners."

A long ship, like a troop ship, swooped in low so that it hovered at the top of the jungle's canopy. The side of the ship opened, revealing the captured soldiers and a line of armed robots behind them.

"The one on the far left," Nega said.

Without warning, the robot pushed the soldier at the left end of the line out of the ship. He fell behind the temple and a few seconds later, we heard a dull _thud_.

"You are in no position to make any demands, Your Highness," he said. "Now, the emerald."

She pulled out the Sol Emerald, holding it high for him to see. The purple luster reflected off his sunglasses and he smiled. "Excellent. Bring it here, if you please." He waved the walkie-talkie in his hand, warning her.

I couldn't wait for Gardon. I had to intervene somehow. I motioned for the soldiers with me to circle around the temple to the troop ship while I crept around the edge of the tree line. If I could get close enough, I could disarm Nega and turn the tables. I ran through what little Nega had shown us about machinery in my timeline. He had walked us through repairing the dune buggy before. Whether or not that played a part here was anyone's guess.

Blaze walked deliberately slow, holding the emerald in her outstretched hand. "That's it," Nega said.

When I was right behind the plane, I ran forward. Using my telekinesis, I ripped the walkie-talkie out of Nega's hand, crushed it into a small plastic ball, then turned my attention to the robot manning the plane. As Nega rounded on me, I re-wired a few sections of the robot, going by memory.

Unfortunately, the robot short-circuited and blew a fuse, slumping in its seat. "Silver," Nega said, snarling. I grabbed the pistol from the robot before Nega could and held him at gunpoint. "Good to see you made it too."

"Release the hostages," I said and I realized the poor choice of words at the same time he did. "Safely on the ground," I added.

"And if I don't?" he asked. "Are you really going to shoot me? You don't have the stomach for it."

"Don't tempt me," I said, acting tougher and more confident that I was. I had never killed someone outright before and I wasn't sure if I could bring myself to, even in Nega's case. Although he didn't need to know that. "You killed my village and plan to destroy the entire world. You're a monster and you need to be put down."

"Oh, I left some of your village alive, remember?" he said. "A couple of playthings for my robots to use as target practice. I'm not sure if they are alive _now_. I haven't checked on them in a while." My grip tightened on the gun. "That reminds me, I still need to see to those gas bombs."

"Shut up," I said.

"Oh, don't act like that. I deserved a small consolation. After all, I never got to deal with your pesky younger self here. Half the village's populace was reduced to charred carcasses and ash by the time I personally landed at the town hall. He must've been killed in the first wave of my attack on your village. Believe me, I reprimanded my minions severely for that. And while escapees didn't surrender without a fight, most were mowed down easily. A few got away, but they won't survive long, I assure you. My drones will find them or they'll die of their injuries, snuffing out the last remains of your village." My fingers clenched and the sights of the pistol lined up with his heart. Or the empty cavity where it would be if he had a heart. "The only prizes I had were a handful of villagers. And extending the experience of my prolonged torture of your younger self to your parents instead."

My heart froze and my nerves steadied. "What?"

"Oh, yes. Dragged that out for as long as possible. Tough ones, your parents. I see where you get your stubbornness from. They wailed non-stop over your death and cursed me, the usual. In the end, they were so battered and broken, it was a mercy putting them out of their misery." My finger slipped on the trigger and he smiled. "A mercy I gladly granted to them myself."

The pistol rattled and I couldn't bring myself to fire, not even when the thought of my parents overshadowed all else in my mind. Mom. Dad. Lying there, with no one around to help them. Just like last time. All because of this twisted monster!

I yelled and threw both hands out, shoving the plane into the temple. The stone crushed the metal and the impact threw Nega out of his seat. It also shifted some boulders loose that tried to crush Nega. He rolled out of the way and I stood and watched, not caring if they flattened him to bits.

As soon as they saw their master in peril, the other ships moved in to attack. "Run!" Blaze ordered and everyone headed for the trees. I lingered for a moment before the order registered in my mind. I tore the gun apart, threw it away, and bolted. The ships strafed over us, spitting rows of laser blasts. They incinerated the tree line until it was a small wall of fire.

We turned to the temple, but that was out of the question. The structure was crumbling nonstop, caving in the entrance. If we tried for there, we would be buried alive, if we weren't killed by the ships destroying the temple and crushing us with surface chunks.

I looked past the fire, into the jungle. The vehicles seemed so far away now. That was thinking too far ahead. To reach the vehicles, we would have to survive with no protection except for the canopy to hide our movements. The ships could easily cut through the trees and who knew the full firepower the flagships were packing. If we stood and fought, we would be overwhelmed.

The soldiers were panicking and argued about which option was better. Blaze stood in the middle, throwing fireballs at the incoming ships and striking a couple. She too was running through our very limited choices.

In the meantime, I threw up a shield bubble surrounding us as another ship made an attack run. Everyone ducked low as the shield absorbed the ship's bullets and I felt the tremor of the impact in my arms. The shield wouldn't hold out. I doubted it would even survive another attack from a ship, despite my best efforts to repair the cracking damage to its surface.

I met Blaze's eyes and she had come to the same realization I had. None of our options were good and no matter which one we chose, it was certain most of us wouldn't survive. We were essentially trapped, with no way out.

 **A/N:** *struggles in chair against ropes and handcuffs* So what's your big plan?

 **Young Pen:** Simple. We plan to make sure you never started to write to begin with!

How? Killing me?

 **Pen:** No…Killing your wi-fi and laptop.

You monsters! You'll never get away with this, Pens!

 **Pen:** Why my contemptible, certifiable creator. We already have. And to all of you out there, you won't see us much longer. So we bid you adieu, farewell, and thank you for reading this drivel. Feel free to leave a review if you wish. *laughs with Young Pen and drags the author away*


	13. Chapter 13: Air Superiority

**A/N:**

 **Pen:** Now, are we ready?

What do you plan to do?

 **Pen:** Simple. We'll create accounts and leave nasty comments on your stories, thereby crushing your younger self's motivation and self-esteem to ever continue writing to begin with.

So, your big plan that involves time traveling and kidnapping me centers on…trolling.

 **Pen:** No, opening your eyes to the nonsense of fanfics. Are we ready?

 **Younger Pen:** Ready. And it looks like the audience has returned. I suppose you're all here for a story? Very well, Silver, Blaze, and all related characters belong to Sega. The story, Sword, and us belong to the author. Please don't use without permission. Blah, blah, blah. Go do whatever while we enact our master plan!

Thank you to SaltwaterJanuary, Silvaze299, and MissMJS for their reviews. And thank you for reading everyone!

 **Chapter 13- Air Superiority**

Okay, the shield is holding, the shield is holding. I repeated the mantra to myself, wanting it to be true and knowing it wasn't. The cracks were healing too slowly and my mind felt like it was about to snap in two as I gave my all to repair the damage. Another plane dived from the sky above, battering us with bullets and reset my hard work, lengthening the breaks in the shield.

"Listen, everyone head to the forest and spread out!" Blaze said, ordering pairs of soldiers in different directions. "On my word, run as fast as you can and meet back at the vehicles!" Then she leaned in to my ear. "How long can you keep this up?"

Judging from the shield's thin, almost transparent width, I shook my head. "Not much longer." Sweat dripped down my eyelids, watering my view of the shield and the planes raging above. The flashes of crimson from the biplanes speeding by and the booming shots from the flagships, filtered through the mint green shield, created a sickening watercolor. "Another attack. Maybe." Blaze's face grew more grim and she bit her lip in thought, working out several alternatives behind her eyes. "I'll keep it held. Trust me. Be ready to move."

"We will." She squeezed my shoulder gently. "Hang in there."

Expecting another attack any moment, I worked rapidly to fix the shield and hold it for another pass. My fingers ached and cramped up, and my mind seemed to slide out of my head, as if defeated and finally deflating from the stress. Bit by bit, inch by inch, the shield thickened and the cracks disappeared from the bubble. Almost there, I lied to myself. Almost there.

"Behind us!" a soldier shouted and I heard a plane approaching fast from our rear. I couldn't spare a glance or break my concentration. Especially because another plane heading for our front already had me on edge. A two-pronged attack, coming right for us. That we would not survive.

Out of my peripheral vision, I caught Blaze's eyes. She conjured up a fireball in each hand, prepared to start throwing the heated missiles. "Get rid of the shield," she said, the flames growing larger in her hands. I stared at her in disbelief and she stepped back, her eyes darting back and forth between the planes. "Do it on three, then run."

It was risky. Very risky. It was also our best chance to cause some confusion between Nega's forces and give us a few precious moments. I nodded and we bobbed our heads in unison. Once, twice, three times, and then the shield vanished.

Everything happened in an instant. Blaze hurled a fireball at full speed at one plane, then the other at the second plane. The flaming missiles collided with the noses, burning through the engines, and making them explode. The fire continued through the metal, melting the pilots at the yoke. Smoke enveloped the biplanes and they crashed on either side of our group in fiery masses, throwing up dirt and debris. I conjured two quick teal walls, blocking the bits of metal from pelting our group.

"Move it!" Blaze ordered at the top of her lungs. We sprinted for the jungle, the soldiers disappearing between the thick trunks first. Blaze and I were further from the tree line and pounded our legs hard, using every ounce of breath we had.

Any minute, I expected another plane to swoop in and cut us to ribbons. Instead, another explosive boom resounded behind us, the shockwave propelling us forward. I chanced a look behind me, fearing the flagships had locked in on us.

Up above, the troop transport was sinking toward the jungle, clouds of smoke bellowing from its drooping front end. The robot guards inside poured out through the open doors, crashing onto the ground. Any left behind were rammed out of the ship by the captured soldiers.

Below the transport, several biplanes were flying slow and hovering in place, allowing the prisoners to hop aboard them. In the gunner's seat of one of the planes, I spied a familiar koala's ears and beady eyes poking up above the sights of the machine gun attached to the back of the plane.

"Gardon!" I said, pointing him out to Blaze and the soldiers. The rest of the planes beneath the transport were also piloted and manned by Gardon's group. I didn't know how or when he procured them and I didn't care.

Nega's attention shifted to Gardon and he bellowed at his forces. "Get them!" The planes turned away from us and zoomed towards Gardon with Nega at the rear. By then, the prisoners had been unloaded and they were beating a hasty retreat in our direction.

"Get to the vehicles!" Blaze ordered. She ran backwards, hurling fireballs left and right into the squad of planes trailing behind Gardon's group. The enemies plummeted to the ground in fiery explosions or burst apart, shooting hunks of metal everywhere. I provided shields to the both of us as we covered our group's retreat. I managed to grab some planes out of the air, messing with their controls and bringing them to spectacular crashes that flattened their noses and sheered their wings off.

As the other planes on our side continued on ahead to the vehicles, Gardon banked around with a pair of friendly planes, aiming across the pack of robots for Nega. He gunned through the swarm, ripping holes through several planes and clipping Nega's outer wings.

Nega fired back with a volley of missiles aimed directly at Gardon. Blaze's fireballs detonated several in midair. The rest, I snatched with my telekinesis and flung them in any opposite direction. A few hit the temple, destroying what support was left on the sides as it collapsed in on itself. The rest hit the wall of planes that protected Nega, sheering more of his protective layer of robots away and exposing him.

Seeing that he was outgunned at the moment, Nega cursed and turned his ship around, heading for his flagships. Gardon's two partner planes started after him, but he called them back. "Hurry! We have to get out of here while we can!"

He was right. The flagship's cannons were already targeting us now that Nega was almost clear of the danger zone. The ground soldiers were far ahead, probably at the vehicles by now, but Blaze and I were stumbling through the vegetation and uneven terrain. We wouldn't make it unless we flew.

"Here," I said, running beside her and offering my hand. "We have to fly."

She stared at me, panting and I thought I might have to convince her again like on the bridge. Thankfully, she slapped her palm in mine, squeezing tight. "I won't go too high," I said, assuring her and I scooped her up, flying above the canopy. She looked down into my chest, never glancing at the scenery, even though I stayed true to my word, ensuring my toes draped the tops of the tall trees. It was almost like gliding across mounds upon mounds of snow, the way the white leaves curved and rose here and there.

By the time we reached the vehicles, we already heard the cannons in the background. Gardon and his team flew on ahead, leaving us to the vehicles. We scurried inside and started up the vehicles. Behind us, the booming rumble of the flagship's shots sounded closer. Thankfully, the trees hid us well and we made a mad dash for the edge of jungle.

The radio crackled to life. "This thing on?" Gardon asked. "Your Highness? Silver?"

I picked up the radio as Blaze drove. "Yeah, we're here. Where are you?"

"Circling outside the jungle. Can you see me yet?"

As we crossed the jungle's threshold, I gazed into the sky and spotted a flock of red planes flying lazily around a central point. "Yeah, we see you. Where on earth did you get those from?"

"Came across them on our way to the other side of the forest," Gardon said. "They had landed there, I guess hiding in wait to ambush us. I figured it would help to have some air power. Lucky for us, the robots weren't aware until it was too late. So these things still have their weapons: guns, missiles, you name it."

Finally, some good news. "That's great. And everyone's safe?"

"Yeah, you?"

"We're all good down here."

"And the emerald?" he asked.

I looked to Blaze and she pulled it out of her pocket. "Still safe with us," she said.

"That's good to hear," a voice broke in on the radio. Although full of static and hard to discern, we knew who it was. "I would hate to hear that something happened to my emerald, especially when I'm so close to getting another one."

"You won't lay your hands on another one, Nega," Blaze said to the radio. "We won't let you."

"We'll have to see, now won't we? I look forward to meeting you again in the marshes." Then the static died.

"Gardon," Blaze said, "did you get that?"

"Yes, I did," he said grimly. "We can't see him from here, but we'll scout on ahead and wait for you."

"Good. See you then," she said. I hung up the radio and sat back in my seat.

"These wouldn't happen to be the Misty Marshes, would they?" I asked.

"The very same," she said. "However, the name is a lie. Only the end of the marshes by the sea is ever misty and foggy. The rest of the marshes are actually pretty clear, but the name stuck."

"And how much do you want to wager the misty part if where the next emerald will be?" I asked with a wry grin.

"Why don't you," she covered her mouth, yet couldn't hide the mighty yawn behind her fingers, "check the book on it?"

"Why don't you get some rest?" I suggested. "You've been up all day."

"I'll be fine," she said, although her bloodshot eyes and drooping lids said otherwise.

"Just for a few hours," I said. "I can drive. I got some sleep earlier."

"No, no. I'll be fine," she said.

Up ahead, a deer jumped into our path. "Watch it!" I shouted. She veered to the right, narrowly missing a tree, then another tree, then we were back on the dirt road. Blaze stopped the car, her eyes wide now and trembling fingers clenching the wheel. She looked around, checking on everyone. "Is everyone all right?"

The soldiers were gripping their seats and seemed just as caught in the headlights as the deer, but settled down soon. Blaze heaved a sigh and nodded. "Okay, you can drive." We switched seats and I shifted the vehicle into gear, starting down the solitary road, the only thing visible in the vehicle's headlights.

"Close one," I said after a while, when the soldiers had dozed off one by one.

"Yeah," she said. "Then again, so was the exchange." She gave me an annoyed look. "I thought I told you and Gardon you both should rescue the prisoners."

"We thought one of us could handle it."

"And if not? If you had ended up risking their lives?"

"We would never do that," I said sincerely. "If the group rescuing them had needed help, then the other would have helped. Honest." She looked me in the eyes, searching for any lie, but I was completely serious.

"Very well," she said. "Still, we can't expect to beat Nega if you disobey orders."

"If you had gotten captured yourself, what then?" I asked.

"First, Nega would have a tough fight on his hands taking me," she said. "Best case scenario: if the hostages were rescued, I would have no excuse to hold back and we may have had a chance, albeit slim chance, to capture Nega. Second, if he did take me, he would keep me aboard his flagship. With both emeralds."

"Which would mean nothing if you couldn't escape."

"I've been in tougher spots," she said. "And we may have learned more about how to beat him."

"I won't risk your life."

She turned in her seat, lowering her voice for the sake of the sleeping soldiers behind us. "We're risking our lives nonstop with Nega."

I shook my head. "Not deliberately," then amended my words before she could counter. "I mean, we're not reckless about it. I won't follow an order that puts yours, or someone else's, life at risk if I can help it."

"We followed yours in Blue Mirage," she said. "You risked yourself with those serpents." She winced at the memory. "They could've killed you."

"You didn't have to," I said. "You could've refused."

"I trusted you," she said, then stopped, as if she had spilled some secret. Her gaze dropped to her hands and she squeezed them tight, nodding and reaffirming what she said. "I trust you. I trusted that you would come back t-to us." She stuttered and I wasn't sure why. She hid her face, studying the stars for a few moments. "I want you to trust me too."

"I will. I do," I said. "And I'll continue to if you promise to be less reckless."

"Only if you promise the same. I would hate for you to not make it through this."

"I want you to make it through too." I sighed and smiled at her. "Deal. No more reckless behavior."

She smiled and lay back in her seat. "Good night, Silver."

"Good night, Blaze," I said quietly, out of range of the soldiers' hearing. As her eyes closed, I stole a peek at the snoring soldiers. Maybe it was the adrenaline still coursing through my veins or the thought of not making it out of this alive giving way to a devil may care attitude, that this was a perfect opportunity that wouldn't present itself often, if ever again at all. Whatever the case, I leaned over and planted a quick peck on Blaze's cheek.

Her eyes snapped open and she gawped at me, her scarlet cheeks highlighted in the moonlight. I pulled back with a nervous chuckle, simultaneously proud and embarrassed of my bold move. Blaze's face was frozen solid, unsure how to take the gesture. And I feared I had overstepped a boundary.

Thankfully, her mouth broke into a tiny smile and her eyes closed once more. "Good night," she said again.

I turned back to the road, my chest puffed out a little, and replayed the moment over and over in my mind. It was small comfort, but I would take the bit of sorely needed levity to ease my tension as we headed toward the dark horizon, where the Misty Marshes and the next Sol Emerald waited. And, most troubling, toward another clash with Nega.

 **A/N:**

 **Sword:** Man, where is everyone? It's like they up and disappeared!

 **Younger Sword:** Oooo! There's people! Hello! Have you seen our Authors? Or our Pens?...What's that? You say they're at the top of the chapter? Well, we better go look!

 **Sword:** Right-o! Oh, by the way, thank you to all you lovely people for sticking with us and continuing to read the story. There's more excitement coming up. Please let us know what you think of the story. Hugs and kisses to all of you! Mwah! Now let's get to climbing the chapter!


	14. Chapter 14: Chateau de Pumken

**A/N:**

 **Pen:** And leave another review of how his plots are too plodding.

 **Young Pen:** And his dialogue too wordy.

I'm right here.

 **Pen:** So?

So? This kind of hurts.

 **Pen:** You'll get over it, you baby. Now—woah!

 **Sword:** *breaks through the floor* Hello! We came from the bottom of the chapter.

This is getting too strange. Hello, everyone. Real quick, ready? Good. Silver, Blaze, and all related characters belong to Sega. The story, the Swords, and the Pens belong to me. Please don't use without permission. Thank you to MissMJS and GeminiMercedes for their reviews on the last chapter. And thank you all for reading.

 **Young Sword:** En garde, Pens!

 **Chapter 14- Chateau de Pumken**

A couple of hours from morning, the road gave way to wet, muddy grass and there were lakes and bodies of water as far as the eye could see, sliced here and there by narrow trails of tall weeds and grass. I shook Blaze awake. "We're here," I said.

We exited the vehicles, stepping out first onto the soft ground. The soldiers followed, waking up one by one. I dug my toes around in the mud, noting how after only a few inches, water pooled into my toe-made hole. Out in the marsh, dozens of trails disappeared into the distance, with a couple abruptly ending at the water's edge. Beside me, Blaze was flipping through the history book, a flashlight clenched between her teeth.

"I don't suppose there's a map that could guide us through?" I asked.

"There's a rough map of the terrain. But it's very old, before this place was a marsh, so we can't fully rely on it," she said, sighing.

"And was I right? Is the Sol Emerald at the far end of the marsh?"

She nodded. "Yeah. In Chateau de Hunnid. It's located on the far end, beside the Bowl Sea."

"Great." We couldn't very well drive the vehicles through to the other side. At best, they would get stuck in the mud, if they didn't sink entirely. With Nega's ships, he should have no trouble finding and locating the chateau from above. By the time we managed our way through, he would already have the Sol Emerald and be moving onto the next one.

Blaze jumped back into our vehicle, grabbed a walkie-talkie, then peered up at the sky. "Gardon, you still there?" We waited for several seconds, hearing nothing but radio silence. "Gardon?"

"Yeah, we're here," he said, his voice broken up by constant static.

Blaze lit a fireball and threw it into the air. "Can you see that?"

"Yeah, we see it and you." In the distance, the sound of an engine rumbled across the starry sky.

"You think you have room in there to seat some of us?"

I looked up hopefully. Even if I had to hang on the wings of a plane, it would be much faster than traversing the marsh on foot. And with any luck, we would beat Nega to the punch.

Unfortunately, Gardon's news sank our hopes. "No. And we have another problem. I don't think these planes are built for long-range travel. If I'm reading these gauges right, then we don't have much juice in them left."

There went that plan. Blaze pressed the button. "Very well. We can't lose those planes. Having a squad of Nega's weaponry that works is too precious to neglect. Head back to the capital. We should be able to replenish their fuel cells with what we've salvaged from Nega's other vehicles. Once you return to the capital, make sure to send more reinforcements to the remaining Sol Emeralds. If we can't stop Nega here, then we can't allow him to take even one more."

"Roger that," he said and the planes' engines circled overhead, pointing to the horizon behind us. "We'll return with more troops for you posthaste, Your Highness. Good luck."

"Good luck to you too." She tucked the walkie-talkie into her clothes, gathered up some more in a bag, and came back to us, studying the paths through the marsh.

"What are you thinking?" I asked. "Maybe use your fire to light our way through?"

"Exactly," she said.

"I could contain the fires, use them as lanterns," I said.

She bit her lip and gazed into the air. "That would definitely be a beacon for Nega. We may as well shout and scream our position while we're at it." She was right and I scanned the stars too, afraid one was secretly the light of a flagship searching for us. "The best we can do is use short fireballs sparingly and only when we absolutely need to. It won't do us any good to wander around completely in the dark. Think you could carry us across any dead ends?"

I judged the weight of the soldiers behind us, including their armor and weapons, against my own energy. "Yes, but not for long." I already spied some long stretches of water where the next piece of land was nowhere to be seen. "It would have to be across short gaps."

"Good." Then she chopped her arm forward to a long trail in the marsh. "Let's move out!" she said to the soldiers.

They hopped to attention and filed in behind her and me. With trepidation in our bones, we entered the Misty Marsh.

* * *

For an hour, we didn't see much of anything beyond vast bodies of water dotted with cattails. Blaze occasionally threw a fireball or two forward, lighting the trails we were on. Thankfully, I only had to carry the group from one bank to the next twice. Most of the time, I led the way while Blaze read up on the chateau that awaited us.

What unnerved me the most was the deathly silence. The further we went into the marsh, the quieter it became. Crickets stopped chirping, nocturnal birds were nowhere to be found, and even croaking frogs didn't venture our as far as we did. All I could hear was the shuffling of our feet in the grass and the sticky squishing as we left tracks in the mud.

To make matters worse, we encountered the misty portion of the area, which swirled around with long tendrils stroking our bodies at first. Before we knew it, we were deep into an unnatural fog that blinded us to everything more than twenty feet away. The group huddled close together, packed in tightly so that everyone kept stepping on each other's toes and kicking the back of their heels.

"So," I said, my voice soft. For some reason, I felt like I should respect the sanctity of the atmosphere that nature had abandoned. "What can we expect when we get there?"

"Not anything good," she said, snapping the tome shut. It was too foggy to read well anyway. "The chateau belonged to the Pumken family, whose last known ancestor was Kovaz, the Pagan Savage."

"Charming," I said. "Dare I ask how he got it?"

"The legend goes that his family was rich and powerful. Many of the peasants were subservient to his family and his ancestors commanded respect. On the other hand, Kovaz ruled through fear and bloodlust, going to war with nobles and seizing their property. Any that he defeated were executed, along with their families, in horrific fashion to warn others about challenging him. Even some who surrendered were executed because he felt like it, and many dubbed him insane and power-hungry."

I gave a derisive snort. "Sound like anyone you know?"

She crafted a fireball and lobbed it into the fog, where it disappeared as soon as it fell from its arc. "Suffice to say, many feared him, even believing him to practice dark arts and associate with evil forces. Some of the nobles used these rumors and rallied the peasants and their own forces against Kovaz, attacking him at the chateau."

"What happened?" I asked. The soldiers were also watching Blaze, anxious to hear the outcome.

"Again, according to the legend, Kovaz made a blood sacrifice, offering up two of his youngest children to a pagan sea god in exchange for victory over his enemy. The god obliged and sent the sea, with its tidal waves, to wash away Kovaz's enemies and carry them off to the sea's depths.

"Kovaz celebrated the victory, climbing to the rooftop of the chateau, and proclaimed over the now water-logged battlefield that he had defeated his enemies and no one was greater than he. Kovaz's hubris and failure to credit the sea god or provide a thankful sacrifice angered him. Therefore, the sea god raised a massive tidal wave, larger than the world has ever seen, with his own personal beast riding the crest of the wave. The beast snatched Kovaz from the chateau's roof and swallowed him whole. The tidal wave washed all his relatives and servants out to sea and swamped the land we're walking on."

Blaze was startled by all the unblinking eyes on her when she looked back at us. By now, the entire group was listening with rapt attention. I prompted her to continue. "And?"

"And that was the end of his family," she said, a little too quickly.

"Is there more?" I asked, but I already knew the answer. It was plain on her face and she was bad at hiding it. "Tell us the rest. It may help."

She appeared to think about arguing, then gave up and sighed. "Fine. But you asked." That and her annoyed look sent an uneasy feeling through me and suddenly, I wasn't sure I wanted to hear anymore. "A curse was laid on the chateau and all who entered it to seek the lost fortune of the Pumken family. They would suffer terribly at the sea god's hand and join the spirits that now haunt its halls, doomed to roam aimlessly for all eternity, trapped in a never-ending misery and unable to escape. The legend also says that you can hear their moans and howls across the marsh late at night, their souls screaming in the agony of their afterlife."

She stopped, tossing another fireball ahead and directed us down a left path. But no one was worrying about Nega anymore. A collective chill crept through our spines and I hated being the first to ask.

"Is there any truth to that?"

She shrugged. "I doubt it. There are many ghost stories like that, so close to the water where people imagine all sorts of oddities in its depths. I do know that the tome mentioned that all reports of this area have never seen any hauntings. Most historians and scientists agree that the sea did indeed turn this area into a marsh, but not from any vengeful sea god. They believe it was likely massive swells over time, the low sea level of the area, and natural erosion. As for the chateau, no curse as far as I know. A few unlucky accidents are all that have happened. There have been stories circulated of people dying after they returned home, but these were all debunked and proved to be natural deaths."

"I see," I said, looking into the fog, afraid that I caught sight of a face forming in certain a certain break of the white mist. The story, and the accompanying bone-rattling fear, reminded me all too well of late-night ghost stories that robbed me of sleep as a child. "So no ghosts then?"

She glanced at me, as if chiding me privately. "This is why I didn't want to tell the rest," her face said loud and clear. "Well," she said aloud, marching ahead, "the tome also says that some of the souls swim in the marsh, grabbing travelers by their ankles and dragging them into the water. Ow. Something scratched my leg."

As soon as she said it, the soldiers and I jumped back into each other, spinning and swirling in all directions and patting at our legs. We were okay. Nothing had snatched us.

Blaze watched us, a sardonic grin on her face. "Are you all quite through?" she asked, tapping her foot with her hands on her hips. "Because I made that last part up." We stopped checking ourselves and sheepishly tucked our arms at our sides. "Now, get over here before you fall in the water."

We trudged back to her and Blaze chuckled to herself. This woman was incorrigible, I thought as we continued onwards. Desperate for a change of topic, I asked, "So where does the Sol Emerald fit into this macabre tale?"

"One of the treasures that Kovaz coveted highly and valued as his largest prize was the Sol Emerald he seized from one of the nobles he conquered," Blaze said.

"The crown jewel of his hoard?"

"Exactly, and kept in a very safe place. With the local rumors of the curse and supposed traps in the chateau itself against invaders, it should still be there. Speaking of which, I think I see the chateau."

Ahead, a faint silhouette in the backdrop of the fog, rose a tall castle with multiple towers all pointing to the night sky. As we neared it and the monument came clearer into view, I was overwhelmed by the size of such a building out here. I couldn't see the end of the chateau, but it seemed large to me.

The gate was flanked by two tall towers and a moat of bubbling water surrounded the grounds, forcing us to bottleneck on the lowered drawbridge. We huddled close together, crossing the creaking bridge and on the lookout for any sign of attack. Although our eyes gazed skyward a time or two, most of it was spent watching the doors to the towers, afraid that a specter may jump out at us. A couple of the guards checked the water, ignoring the fact that Blaze had made up the part about ghosts grabbing ankles. Now that the fear had taken root in their mind, there was no getting it out.

The muddy grounds were barren and lifeless. I beat that word out of my head. The last thing I wanted to be reminded of was that story and how lifeless this place was. The chateau loomed above us as we approached its large double doors. Blaze ventured further into the mist, checking one of the many cracked, broken windows, and I followed.

"See anything?" I asked.

"No," she said and crinkled her nose, catching a whiff of the same dank odor I inhaled. The entire chateau smelled rotten. "It's dark. Which may mean Nega isn't here yet." I was more concerned by ghostly reflections in the window panes. "All the same, we need to be careful. He could be lying in wait again and we can't see anything out here."

With much yanking and pulling, the front doors swung open with a heavy creak, and a that musty scent of ancient water and mold slapped us across the face full-force, as if we had opened a door into the underbelly of the marsh itself. Blaze stepped in first, cradling a small fire in her palm. Then one by one, the rest of us entered.

From what I could see of the chateau, it was as large on the inside as on the outside. Spacious and opulent enough for a noble, as paintings, heirlooms, suits of armor, and jewelry were on display everywhere in the grand foyer. But there was something amiss about it all, something that set my nerves on edge.

Then I realized what it was. The entire foyer was coated in a slimy film as if it had been drudged up from the seabed. Every artifact in the foyer, from the rusted plates of the armor to the cases of jewelry, and even the stairs, their bannisters, and the rolls of carpet leading further into this tomb, were covered in the slime.

One of the soldiers slipped on the slime and scrambled for something to hold onto, knocking down a couple of other soldiers. "What is this? Blood?" he shouted. "Ectoplasm?"

Blaze shushed him and I knelt closer to the ground. The film was cloudy and colorless, so neither blood nor ghostly residue. I pointed it out to Blaze and she nodded. "With how much water covered the land, perhaps some got in here. With no caretaker, there's no one to keep the slime and mold from developing."

She stepped on the carpet and water squelched out around her foot. It was absolutely saturated with sea water. "Smell that? It means water must be getting in here somewhere."

Still, she seemed surprised by how extensive the film was. It had an underwater quality to it that made me feel like I was in Blue Mirage and had swam into one of the larger city buildings. The dark areas of the chateau itself appeared to have a blue-green tinge to them that further cemented the watery experience.

"Okay, we need to split up and find the Sol Emerald before Nega comes," she said, passing out walkie talkies. All the soldiers were less than enthusiastic about the prospect of going in separate directions this time. I couldn't blame them. I would prefer to stay in a large huddle, giving us several pairs of eyes to watch all our surroundings. "Silver and I will take upstairs on the right side. You two," she pointed to a couple of soldiers, "take the other half." Then she cut an invisible line down the middle of the remaining soldiers. "The rest of you, half take one side of the first floor, the other take the other half."

The soldiers exchanged unsure looks among each other. "Hey," Blaze said, "we have a job to do. If Nega gets his hands on that emerald, then all this is for naught. You're some of the bravest men and women I've had the pleasure of having at my side and I know you're better than any make-believe ghost or mindless robot." She gave a stiff, encouraging smile at them and her fingers fidgeted behind her back, wringing one another to the breaking point where only I could see, not her audience. "You can do this."

Emboldened by her pep talk, the soldiers separated to their assigned areas. Before they left, they gathered some dusty candelabras from the foyer, brushed off the cobwebs, and Blaze lit them one by one. "Meet back here in an hour," she said.

Once we had climbed the stairs and were out of sight of the soldiers, Blaze's shoulders relaxed. "That went well," I said.

"You think so?" she asked. "I just pieced together things that Gardon usually says to them. Not that it isn't true, of course."

"Of course."

"I'm not really one for speeches," she said with a sheepish shrug. "Some princess, huh?"

"Hey, I don't mind," I said. "Too many nobles seem to talk and direct others, but won't get in the trenches themselves like you do. I admire that and so do they."

"Really?" She raised her eyebrows, at a loss for words.

"Yeah. I'm sure it inspires them knowing you're right there beside them. At least, that's what Gardon used to tell me. In the other time."

Blaze gave an amused snort. "He tends to overexaggerate."

"Maybe. However, on this, he's right. Having a leader beside their troops does a lot for morale."

"You'd make a pretty good leader too," she said. However, we both realized the second unintended meaning behind her words and my tongue swelled in my throat as large as her eyes did. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah," I said. Although, now that the idea was planted there, it wasn't going away, haunted castle or not. The joke of a notion sprouted into full-on curiosity and wonderment as I imagined the two of us in the future, overseeing a peaceful country, one free from Nega's terror. The two of us, side by side, leading together, living together.

I caught her eye and we each saw the same thoughts in each other's minds and stared straight ahead, both too embarrassed to say it aloud. I wasn't even sure if I had read her expression right. Yet I believed I had.

This was crazy. I couldn't go down this path. It wouldn't be right. There was an age gap, we had known one another for less than a month, and we had a lunatic bent on destroying the world. We were from different universes for goodness sake!

While I wrestled with the notion, a heavy metal object swung down behind me. I yelped and spun around, swinging the candlabra wildly and smacking a breastplate on a suit of armor. The candles died in my swings and clattered to the floor.

Blaze picked up the candles, set them back in the holders, and re-lit the wicks. "Such brave leadership," she teased with a smirk. "No more ghost stories for you."

I didn't have the nerve to tell her my parents often told me the same thing when I would come home from a friend's house after staying awake all night from a spooky story around the fireplace. I refused to relive that part of my childhood, creepy castle or not. "Never know when Nega might strike. Helps to be prepared," I said, marching off with my head held high. She rolled her eyes and followed, mercifully brightening the candles to chase away the dark shadows as we searched the castle.

 **A/N:**

 **Sword:** Thank you peoples for sticking with us! We love you all so much and this has been so much fun so far.

 **Young Sword:** Oh, no! Look! The author is being tortured at the beginning of this chapter!

 **Sword:** We'll save him! Climb the words to the top! Hurry! Climb! Climb!

 **Young Sword:** Bye peoples! And please let us know what you think of the story!


	15. Chapter 15: Metal Ghosts

**A/N:** _Hello everyone. Welcome to my mind. Sorry about this, but it's getting a bit too dangerous out there, what with the time traveling and action. Who knows what could happen? So, in the meantime, why don't you all have a comfortable seat and we'll enjoy a story together. Sound good? All right. Silver, Blaze, and all related characters belong to Sega. The story, the Swords, and the Pens belong to me. Please don't use without permission. Thank you to MissMJS and Knightofthewind for the reviews on the last chapter. *feels a rumbling from outside* Don't worry. I think Pen just got a concussion. We'll be out of this soon. For now, please enjoy._

 **Chapter 15- Metal Ghosts**

The chateau was still and quiet, with nary a soul around. I slapped myself for my poor word choice. Each room we checked was the same: abandoned rotting furniture, old portraits and belongings, cracked trinkets on mantles and bookshelves, and the slime coating drenching it all. In fact, the deeper we went, the more thick and viscous the slime became, worse than the mud outside.

I jerked my foot forward, instantly plopping it down into the goo. "This stuff is going to slow us down," I said. "You think you can burn it?"

"I can try," she said, holding a fireball in her palm close to the goo. It receded a few inches, but it was slow going. And this method would take far too long.

"What about setting it on fire?"

"Even though the sea slime would burn, the carpet and wood panels beneath these areas would catch fire," she said, gesturing to the ground and walls.

"Well, we could fly," I suggested. "Or float."

Blaze looked unsure and stood up. "I don't know. I suppose floating would be fi- _iine!_ " I lifted us into the air a few inches above the slime and she clung to me, digging her sharp claws into my back. I winced as she retracted her claws and realized that she was very close to the ground. "Oh, um, sorry. But warn me next time!"

"Right, I will," I said, my lower back buzzing with sharp pinpricks of pain. "I think you drew blood."

She held the light closer and checked the holes. "They're small. You'll be fine. Sorry again."

Now that the pain was subsiding, I couldn't resist getting in a small ribbing. "What was that you were saying earlier about 'brave leadership'?"

"We need to continue," she said, turning quickly and ignoring my question. "We have to make up for lost time."

"Right," I said, grinning cheekily. "After you."

It was a good thing we started to float through the hall when we did. The slime coating rose as we drifted through the halls, completely obscuring the floors, and the stuck doors became hard to push open. We had to force our way through, banging the doors loud enough to wake the dead—phrasing!—and still, I didn't see where it could all be coming from.

"Maybe it's the plumbing," Blaze said. "A castle in disrepair is bound to have leaky pipes."

"But this bad?"

"It has been a long time since anyone has been here."

I bumped into a bulging mass of the goo and it clung to my fur, matting it down in a yellow-green putrid mess. I made a face at it, disgusted by the smell and tried in vain to pull it out bit by bit. "It seems a bit much," I said, then Blaze put an arm out in front of me, stopping me in my tracks and shining the candles at the floor.

Or what had been the floor. The hall ended in a dead drop down a sheer cliff to violent waves crashing against jagged rocks below. The water kicked high enough to splash our floor of the chateau and small droplets and sea spray kissed my cheeks nonstop.

"Where's the rest of it?" I asked, dumbfounded by the obvious answer in front of me. As if I expected to find the rest of the chateau had been relocated elsewhere and this was a horrible mistake, I grabbed Blaze's candle hand, guiding it to the right and left. Down to our left was the rest of the chateau, also cut off at various ends, with some halls passing ours and others shoved far back behind us. To our right was nothing but the curved edge of the cliff, rounding back to the Misty Marsh.

"This is all there is," Blaze said. "The waves must have destroyed the chateau and cliff over time. And with how wet this carpet is now," she said, pressing her boots deep into the saturated carpet and mildew, "I'm guessing during storms and high tides, this place gets flooded. The occasional tidal wave wouldn't be out of the ordinary either."

I thought back to the story of Hunnid and shivered. "So the rest of the chateau is gone?"

"Not necessarily," she said, crafting a fireball and dropping it down to the rocks. It burst on a jagged piece and to my surprise, caught fire, spreading across the stone's face. "I think we found the rest of the chateau."

I peered down, confirming she was right. The "rocks" were actually various pieces of the chateau, towers and rooms that stuck out of the water, fighting the waves that threatened to submerge them.

"Some of it anyway," Blaze added.

"At least we found most of it," I said.

"But what if the part we didn't find contains the Sol Emerald?" she asked.

I turned back to the crumbled pieces of the chateau. She was right. If the Sol Emerald had been in the very back of this place, it would have been one of the first rooms to go. It was certainly a possibility. Perhaps Hunnid thought that with the rough waves and steep cliff on one side, and his impregnable defenses in the front, the most secure area for the Sol Emerald was the rear of his home.

But that was one possibility. He could have also been paranoid enough to keep it in a tower, or the center of the chateau. There were other options. "We can't worry about that now," I said. "Best we can do is search the rest. If the Sol Emerald isn't here, well," I cast another glance at the debris below and shrugged, "we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"Yeah," she said. "We should be getting back to rendezvous with the others, see if they found anything. Then we can decide what to do."

With that plan, we turned left and called the pair of soldiers on our floor, planning to meet up with them and return to the foyer together. After all, safety in numbers.

However, we received no response on the walkie-talkie. "Must be a poor signal," Blaze said.

"Yeah," I said, agreeing, although neither of us seemed to buy it. We weren't far out of range and I knew Nega's technology. It was of the highest quality, no matter how small or innocuous. There was only one reason they wouldn't be answering. We floated faster, quickly spot-checking the rooms to locate the missing soldiers.

Finally, we found them. And I wish we hadn't.

In a study, one soldier was face-down in the mass of slime on the floor. The other was against the wall, his jaw slack in a silent scream. Blaze ran to the one in the slime, leaving me to check on the other. When I neared the soldier, I realized his back wasn't just up to the wall, but he was pinned to it. The fletching of several arrows stuck out of the mesh around his neck and joints, and one long shaft protruded from his cheek. He was pale and not moving. My eyes drifted from the corpse to the other arrows that sunk in the muck and the red-stained slime beneath him. Judging by the large spread of the stain, we were too late.

"Silver," Blaze said, beckoning me over. I joined her at her side and helped her roll over the fallen soldier. The slime was thick and tough around her body and several times, my hands almost got stuck. When we flipped the soldier over, strands of the slime snapped apart, releasing her face. She was covered from head to toe in goo, like the rest of the room, and her mouth and nostrils brimmed with the green slop.

Blaze checked her pulse and frowned. "She's gone."

"Nega?" I asked.

"Doesn't seem like him. He would have taken them hostage again. Or zapped them."

That was true, but I didn't want to consider the alternative of another presence being in the chateau. I checked the ground where we found her. It was especially sticky, easy enough to trap someone. I checked the bottom and didn't feel any floor. Only more emptiness, like a hole in the floor.

I turned to Blaze to ask for more light when I slipped and fell into the slime. My head buried half of itself in the sticky layer, with one eye above and one eye exposed to the filthy green. Blaze jumped up to my side and tripped as her foot sank deeper into the floor. I managed to twist my arm uncomfortably and catch her fall, righting her.

She sensed the next danger before I heard it. She jumped backwards onto a slippery, overturned sofa as three arrows whooshed through the air where she had been standing. The arrows sailed into the dead soldier on the wall, clinking against his armor and dropping harmlessly to the ground.

Blaze rushed to my side and grabbed my arm. Together, we lifted my body out of the slime, which left my quills standing up at odd ends. I'm sure the sight would have been funny any other time, but we were too busy catching our breath.

"Looks like some of the traps still work," she said.

I nodded. "Yeah." I was happy it wasn't anything supernatural. This time. I borrowed the candles and confirmed my suspicions about the hole in the floor, then checked where Blaze had tripped. There seemed to be a pressure plate underneath the muck layer. Turning to the soldier who had drowned in the slime, I asked, "What do you think? Tried to dodge the arrows and choked to death?"

"That seems to be the case," she said. She went to each soldier, closing their eyelids so the effect of their terrified expressions was much less chilling. She bowed her head at each, offering a moment of silent respect and prayer, and I did the same. Then with a heavy heart weighing down her gait, she stumbled to the door. "We should leave this room. Who knows what other traps could be in here?" I agreed and followed her out, watching my step.

"We need to be more cautious," she said once we were outside and heading toward the first floor. "This place is dangerous." She didn't need to say it aloud, but I saw the self-blame in her eyes for the soldiers.

"You're right," I said, taking her hand. "We'll be more careful." I gave her fingers a gentle squeeze, assuring her the soldiers weren't her fault. She moved closer to my side and II held the candelabra aloft as we made a quick sweep of any remaining rooms on the second floor. Once we finished, we descended the massive staircase, where the rest of the soldiers were waiting for us.

One of the other groups had been more successful than the rest of us. In one of the towers left standing, they had come across Hunnid Pumken's journal. The soldiers excitedly showed us one of the entries. "He kept his treasure in an underground cellar, carved into the rock beneath the chateau," one said. "All we have to do is find this cellar."

"And if it crumbled into the sea too?" another soldier asked. They must have come across the collapsed rear of the chateau as well.

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't," the first soldier said.

"He's right," Blaze said. "We should check the first floor once more, go over everything just to be sure."

"Should we wait for the others?" the first soldier asked.

Blaze and I exchanged worried looks. "They won't be coming," Blaze said, then carefully relayed what we had discovered on the second floor.

Needless to say, the soldiers didn't take the news well. Their courage melted before my eyes and one by one, they started prophesizing their own doom. "That's it. We'll die down here."

"If the ghosts don't get us first," another said and she was whacked on the back of a head by a third.

"Don't be an idiot. There are no ghosts. But Nega is on his way."

"Or he could be here already," a fourth said, whipping his head back and forth from corridor to corridor. "We would never see him coming. And now we have to deal with traps?"

"I would rather take my chances with Nega's bucket of bolts than a death I don't see coming," the last soldier said.

"Maybe the ghosts activated the traps?" and the fear quickly dissolved into panic.

I looked to Blaze, who seemed to be having trouble addressing their concerns one at a time as she was bombarded with their wails. They needed her to guide them, keep them calm. Otherwise, we would never find the Sol Emerald and very likely die here.

With that thought in mind, I stepped between the soldiers, unsure what I was going to do exactly. So I winged it. "Hey! Hey!" I shouted. "Now if you don't keep quiet, then Nega _will_ find us or you _will_ wake the dead and we'll be in much worse trouble." That stopped them, for a moment, and I had their attention. I had managed to stop their courage from receding completely. Now we had to push it back up to full.

"Are you forgetting something here?" I asked. "Sol Emerald, Nega, end of the world? Don't you remember why we're here?" I looked at each one of them. "If Nega gets his hands on the Sol Emeralds, then you won't have to worry about some trap or ghost claiming you. Nega and Iblis will do that themselves. And I've seen this monster. Anything you can possibly dream up, this thing is worse. It's something you never want to meet face-to-face, I assure you. If Iblis is woken, then this will seem like child's play."

I gave Blaze a quick glance and she caught on. I just had to set-up the target a little more and then she could knock it down with a solid punch. "If you want to keep Iblis at bay and save the world, you will need to confront this place head-on. After all, what happened to that bravery the Princess praised before? You're the supposed to be 'some of the bravest men and women' that she had ever had the pleasure of having at her side."

They seemed rather ashamed and fidgeted among one another. I took a step back and let Blaze take the stage. "The others," she said, "Pip and Charlene met death head-on. I believe they would have. Because I have seen every other person we have met so far do the same. Not because they're unafraid of death. But because they had the courage to face that fear. They knew they were standing up to a much worse fate and protecting those they cared about." She paced around the group, among the soldiers as if to personally imbue each of them with her resolve. However, she seemed to constantly return her gaze to me, at first only when she passed. I thought it was my imagination at first. As she did it more, I became certain of it. She addressed the group as if looking out over them, but she was soon keeping one eye always on me. It made me feel special and the notion of us together cropped up within me again.

I shoved that train of thought aside and listened to her. "We all are afraid of dying on this journey and there's no shame in that. We should be afraid. It keeps us fighting. Fighting against most certain death at the hands of a mad man who wishes to destroy everyone and everything we hold dear. I may die here, but if I have protected anyone at all, I know I can die in peace. What say you? Will you stand against the rising tide of Nega's oncoming apocalypse? Will you declare 'Not today' to his evil? Will you help us preserve our world?"

The soldiers shuffled their feet with their heads down and I was afraid her speech had had no effect. Then one raised her head high. "I will stand with you, Your Highness."

"As will I," another said.

"And I."

"Me too."

"And me."

I breathed easier and shot Blaze a thumbs-up from the edge of the group. She smiled, her eyes full of gratitude, and ordered her troops to fall in line. "Let's get going then. We still have time before Nega arrives. Stick together, be safe, and we can find that emerald."

I joined Blaze at her side as we re-entered the chateau's depths. "Thank you," she mouthed.

"Anytime," I whispered.

* * *

For another hour, we searched the first floor with little luck. If there was a cellar, it was well-hidden. Then again, as I pointed out, "That means nobody has found the emerald yet." That didn't improve anyone's hope.

Dawn was fast approaching and there had still been no sign of Nega. My nerves were on edge, as was the rest of the group. For all we knew, he had invaded the chateau and set his troops around every corner for an ambush. Of course, last time we hadn't heard from him was only because he had been causing worse trouble elsewhere. I prayed Gardon and the others had made it back to the capital safely and that reinforcements were on the way. Who could say what Nega had planned?

We were nearing the broken ledge of the house that overlooked the vast sea. There was one last room to check, but so far, it was seeming like we would have to take the plunge and trench the sea if we hoped to find the emerald.

Blaze rounded up the group and marched us to the last room. One of the soldiers offered to enter first, poking his head in and checking the corners. "All clear," he said, stepping inside.

In a flash, something shot down from the ceiling and snatched him up by his helmet. The appendage was made of slime, but I couldn't be sure what it was. The next second, the door slammed shut in our faces with a resounding _boom!_

"Wynn!" a soldier called after their comrade. Blaze, the soldiers, and I took turns ramming our shoulders into the door, but it wouldn't budge. Blaze considered lobbing a fireball until I reminded her of the woodwork. She snuffed the flame and hit the door again.

I tried to lift the door off its hinges. Yet something was holding it in place. I pulled hard, ripping the door out of the framework and a snaky trail of slime snapped back into the ceiling.

No one dared enter the room. Blaze and I peered inside and saw no sign of the soldier or his kidnapper. They were gone.

"It's ghosts!" another soldier yelled. I sighed. We had gone at least an hour without losing our cool to specters and this wasn't helping.

Blaze reached out for the soldier, but the soldier backed away. "Look, calm down," she said. "There's nothing to worry about. I'm sure Wynn is fine."

The soldier shook her head. "We need to get out of here or we're next." Suddenly, the same trail of slime reached down, engulfed her head, and yanked her through the ceiling, crashing through the broken beams and timbers.

Blaze and I looked at one another. My money was on slime ghosts, hers was on a more grounded explanation that she didn't have time to think through. We were both sure of one thing though. "Run!" she said.

We ran full-pelt to the severed edge of the chateau, all the while with parts of the ceiling collapsing behind us. Sticky pieces of goo splatted the ground all around, trying to snatch us up.

One soldier was grabbed by the back of his armor and hoisted into the air. Throwing caution to the wind, Blaze hurled a fireball straight at the angled slime arm. After it burned through the arm, I encased the fireball in a teal orb, suffocating the flame, then caught the soldier in a telekinetic hold, setting him on the ground. "Keep moving!" Blaze said. "Faster!" The soldier hopped to his feet and pumped his legs, passing Blaze and me easily.

We reached the end of the hall and gazed over the watery abyss. Dawn was not far off, but in this fog, we couldn't see it at all. The ceiling continued to crack and fall apart behind us. Ahead was emptiness and deadly jagged pieces of the chateau. Behind was an uncertain doom.

"Look!" one of the soldiers pointed out. Blaze and I knelt and followed his fingertip to the cliffside below us. A good fifty feet down was a small opening, about ten feet high and wide.

"A tunnel?" Blaze asked.

"Or a secret cellar," I grinned.

She looked behind us. The slime was almost on top of the group. "Let's do it," she said. "Everybody, hold on to one another."

We latched arms and I lifted us out of the chateau and into the open air. Although there were less people to carry now, it was still a struggle. We glided out over the sea and I gently lowered us bit by bit.

Suddenly, the slime caught me by the arm and yanked me back toward the chateau. With one free hand, I held the others aloft. However, the glowing hues around them were fading as the slime broke my concentration. I created a bubble in my trapped hand, expanding the slime arm like a balloon and hoping to pop it. It clung to me, swinging me and the others back and forth as I fought.

"Silver!" Blaze shouted. "Swing us to the hole and I'll hit the arm." A pair of flames appeared in her hands. It took me a few moments to understand her plan. It was extremely dangerous and I steeled myself for it. The sharp rocks and building pieces below reminding me of what would happen if we missed the hole didn't help. "Silver!"

"Yeah, I got it!" I said and swung the line of people back and forth. On the fourth swing, when they were near the hole, Blaze hurled her flames at the arm. It snapped, letting go of me and dropping all of us toward the water.

Using the trajectory of the swing, and the last little energy I had, a couple of the soldiers tumbled into the cellar, falling on top of each other. Blaze, the last soldier, and I clung to the edge, fighting to pull ourselves up. The soldiers in the cellar helped us inside and we all sat down for a minute to catch our breaths.

"I always figured ghosts were more clammy, not cold," I finally said, rubbing the green slop off my arm.

Blaze chuckled airily and rooted through the slime, picking out a piece of metal. She took a deep breath before speaking. "I don't think it was a ghost."

"What would you say it was?"

"No idea," she said, shrugging and handing me the metal piece. "Another trap of some kind?" She seemed to know more than she was saying about the piece and gave me a warning look not to tell anyone about it. I didn't follow her thought process and stared at the metal piece. A really dangerous trap of some kind? That was just what we needed. More traps on top of Nega and everything else. Then again, could be worse. It might really be ghosts and that was a terrible combination.

As I stared at the piece, it seemed curved, like a finger. A metal finger like a robot. "Whatever it is," Blaze said, cutting me off before I could exclaim what the finger belonged to, "I'm sure they're still alive. We need to find the emerald and a way back up there to rescue our people."

Despite my legs aching to rest and my head throbbing like I had actually fallen and busted it wide open on the rocks below, I pulled myself to my feet using the bricks on the wall. "Right behind you," I said, helping her up. The soldiers rose as well and we stumbled on ahead, into the unknown underbelly of the chateau and an ever-closing robot army on our tail.

 **A/N:** _Whew, this was a long one. I wonder how things are top-side?_

 **Sword:** _I'm sure they're fine._

 _Yeah, you're right and—Agh! What are you doing here?_

 **Sword:** _It got boring up there. So, hello peoples! Thank you so much for sticking with us! We love you all and please let us know what you think of the story!_

 _Er, yes, please. And take care._


	16. Chapter 16: The Widow's Brood

**A/N:** _At least tell me you're winning out there._

 **Sword:** _Duh, why wouldn't I be?_

 _Because it's two-on-one._

 **Young Sword:** _Actually, two-on-none._

 _What are you doing here?_

 **Young Sword:** _I got bored._

 _This isn't good. Hello, everyone. As usual, Silver, Blaze, and all related characters belong to Sega. The story, the Swords, and the Pens belong to me. Please don't use without permission. Thank you to MissMJS and SaltWaterJanuary for their recent reviews. Now I have to get you two back out there. Let's go._

 **Chapter 16- The Widow's Brood**

Torches lined the walls of the tunnel, long since snuffed out. Blaze lit them as we passed, adding a little color to the earthy walls and floor. Eventually, the floor gave way to solid stone and we anticipated that we were close.

Unfortunately, we were very sure we were close when we started coming across skeletons lying on the floor. The first two were propped up against either side of the wall, their jawbones dangling from their hinges and their bodies broken apart by time and decay.

"Hold," Blaze said, stopping all of us from proceeding. She looked back and forth between the bodies in thought, then asked for a helmet from one of the soldiers. She held the helmet before her, perfectly in line with the bodies.

 _Sshnk!_ Rusted, metal spikes burst out of the wall, passing within inches of one another. They pierced the helmet clean through, pinning it to the wall. Slowly, the spikes retreated, caked dust and rust crumbling off of them. "Hurry across," Blaze said, shoving a couple of the soldiers along. They sucked in their stomachs, doing their best to not touch the spikes in fear of setting them off again.

"I don't think we need to worry too much," I said, sliding through after her. "These things are so old, they're more rust than actual metal."

"I don't think that's only rust," she said and I looked closer at the red markings on the spikes. Gulping, I scooted through quickly and we waited for the rest of the group to squeeze through.

Immediately, the tunnel sloped down deeper into the earth. As we walked, the roof closed in tighter and tighter until we were hunching over to make it through. Soon, we were on our bellies, crawling through the confined space. Many of the soldiers abandoned their armor to fit through. Even still, we could barely turn around in the area and the roof constantly scraped our bodies, some craggy pieces digging into our skin.

I checked on Blaze behind me, who was pushing forward despite the small fit. Up ahead, the line stopped and I crashed into one of the soldier's backsides.

"What happened?" Blaze asked.

"There's a door up here, Your Highness," the lead soldier said. "Seems like it's locked."

"We'll be right there," Blaze said. She and I crawled past the other soldiers to the front, doing our best to wriggle around the bodies. If I was claustrophobic, this would be terrifying, I thought. Then again, with elbows jamming in my chest and feeling like I was being flattened between someone's back and the ceiling, I almost gave in to the cramped tunnel. My lungs yearned to breathe free, open air and I longed for the sky. I would never take sunlight for granted again.

The door was small, barely wide enough for us to fit through one at a time. But like the soldier had pointed out, it was locked tight. "Think you can get it open?" Blaze asked.

"Sure thing," I said, holding my hand out to the door. I fashioned a key with no teeth, stuck it in the door, and let the glowing key's ends filled the different nooks and crannies of the keyhole. Twisting and turning the key this way and that, the lock soon popped open. "Voila" I said, pulling the key out.

Yet on the end of the key was a small spider. It surprised me and I dropped the key, watching the little creature skitter away from the light and beneath the door. I suddenly had a bad feeling as Blaze grabbed the doorknob and cracked open the door.

At first, the inside of the next room was pitch black, which unnerved me more. "Can you tell how big it is?" I asked. "Can we stand up?"

"I think so," she said. "And look up there." I scooted out further and flipped onto my back. Up above was a ledge. "There's a door up there. It looks like we could walk right through it."

"Do you see any way up there?"

"There's a rope in the middle of the room," she said, pointing straight ahead. "Shine a light there." I crafted a teal orb and sure enough, an old, frayed rope hung limp in the middle of the room. It appeared to be pretty sturdy, if covered in cobwebs and dirt.

Still, an alarm rang in my head and I guided the orb higher. Something was moving along the rope. "What's that?" I asked.

"I think it's our spider friend," she said. Then as she kept searching the room, her face stiffened. "Silver," she said slowly, "shine the light over there on the wall." I did as she asked and the wall remained an ink-black and seemed to vibrate beneath the glow. Suddenly, the blackness dispersed, leaving behind a wall of solid earth and spider webs.

I swept the orb low over the floor and revealed more quivering blackness that my light couldn't penetrate. Then I realized that the dark areas were actually alive. Hundreds, thousands of spiders crawling over one another, chittering on their long legs, and trying to escape from the round orb chasing them.

Immediately, I crafted another ball and swept it around our area. Thankfully, there were no spiders at the door. They must have had no interest in it. The ones on the walls were lazily watching the rest of the spiders from the comfort of their interconnected webs running all over the place. Dozens of eggs were nestled safely within the webs and the idea of more spiders hatching to join the ever-growing brood all around us made my skin crawl.

"What is it?" a soldier asked, craning his neck around us. "What do you see?"

I scooted back inside, rolling over. "Spiders," I mumbled. "Why did it have to be—"

"No time to complain," Blaze said. "We need to get going. Do you think you can fly us up there?"

I shook my head. "My mind's running on fumes. I doubt I could carry myself alone up there."

"Okay," she said, rubbing my shoulder. "Could you bring the rope over then?"

"Yeah." I pulled the rope toward us, yanking it from the sticky walls and webbing that glued it stuck. A few spiders dropped here and there, but we didn't seem to antagonize them beyond that. Still, I kept the rope from touching the wall or getting too close in case these were jumping spiders.

"Black Widows," the soldier behind us said, identifying this fresh unpleasantness. Before I could ask, he added, "Very poisonous."

Terrific.

Blaze was up the rope first as soon as it was in range, climbing hand over hand as fast as possible. I went next and the other soldiers followed. More strands of web were clinging to the rope as we moved upwards. Blaze was careful to slice these threads, letting them and any spiders attached to them swing back to their large web.

"It's a whole nest," a soldier said. "Must have been here for years."

"Fascinating," the one above him said.

"You think there's a large spider? Like a queen?"

"Are you trying to jinx us? We've had enough of that tonight as it is."

My sentiments exactly. I dreaded looking up and finding the numerous glowing eyes of a house-size Black Widow lurking in the dark ceiling. Ice-cold goosebumps raced up my spine, making my whole body twitch, and I took a quick breather, flexing my fingers on the rope. In my weary mind, I already saw sparkling eyes in the dark, watching us, waiting to pounce, and feared I kept seeing glassy orbs the size of crystal balls in the shadows. I squeezed my eyes shut, blinking away the sleepiness, and put one hand above the other, another few inches up at a time.

We were nearing the midpoint of the journey when Blaze cut an unfortunate strand. Several spiders smacked into the wall and fell to their doom. They took a chunk of webbing with them that collapsed on the floor. The frenetic chittering rose from the floor and encircled the walls all around us. The spiders were aware of the intruders in their den.

"Climb," Blaze said. "No talking. Just climb."

By then, the spiders had mobilized below and were seeking us out, climbing the webs up to the ceiling to catch us. Thousands of tiny legs, dotted onyx eyes, and venom-coated fangs ready to attack. They propelled us onwards, putting all our energy into reaching that ledge that seemed so far away now.

 _Plop. Tck, tck, tck._ Spiders started falling on the rope, crawling down it toward us. One dropped on my hand and I freaked out, letting go of the rope and nearly dropping. It raised its front legs, prepared to strike. I crafted a small bubble around it and dropped it on some webbing.

The rest of the spiders weren't as lucky. They started to come faster and we were beating them off, throwing them this way and that. I heard non-stop chittering in my ear and I couldn't tell how many were on me or if that was just the agitated uproar of the collective brood all around. I swung my limbs more often than not, shaking loose the creatures, then rushing up several feet before having to fend off more.

Blaze cut a path through them, singing them off the rope. That failed to halt their advance. They wouldn't be stopped and kept coming, refusing to back down. She swept a wide arc of fire all around us, incinerating the giant web, and the flaming pieces crumbled to the floor, setting the mass of arachnids ablaze. At this point, it didn't matter, as there was no calming these things down.

Thanks to her attack, we had a short reprieve, and were within reach of the ledge. The spiders below were re-grouping and maneuvering around the burnt webbing. "We need to swing over!" Blaze yelled. "Together now!"

"I got a better idea," I said. Summoning a little strength, I shot a telekinetic blast at the ledge. We swung back, getting ready to jump.

Yet the sudden wide swing of the rope jiggled some spiders loose and they fell on us. We swatted and flung them away. But the soldier second from the bottom had one fall in his face. A blood-curdling shriek followed and he let go of the rope, smacking his face as he fell.

"No!" Blaze shouted. I tried stopping him with my mind, but that only slowed his fall for a second.

The last soldier on the rope made a grab for him and missed. The terrified soldier collapsed on the ground, alive but likely with a broken back. He was splayed out on top of a mound of squashed spiders. The ones nearest him abandoned their quarry in favor of immediate revenge for their flattened brothers. His eyes ballooned and his panicked yells mingled with the chittering was unnerving as they swarmed over his body. He was soon swallowed up in the black mass as the spiders covered every inch, in between his fingers, under his clothes, even invading his mouth. I heard some muffled cries of pain, then only the spiders. _Tck, tck, tck, tck, tck._

We stared at the ground for what felt like an eternity, then I heard the _whoosh_ of another flame burst above. Blaze was fighting off the spiders descending down the rope. We couldn't wait around.

"Hang on!" I said. I gathered what miniscule energy remained, and flung another telekinetic wave at the ledge. We swung back, then forth, and jumped.

We crashed into a pile on the small ledge, right in front of the door. Blaze was the first one up, opening the door and shoving us inside. "Get in! Get in!" she said and slammed the door shut behind us.

We scurried several feet from the door, listening. The edges were tightly sealed against the rock and try as they might, the spiders couldn't penetrate the wood. Countless little legs rapped on the door like a million fingers. We watched and waited as the noise gradually faded away. The spiders sensed their den was safe. And so were we.

I held onto the wall for support, panting and barely able to see straight. My vision was blurry, but I could make out Blaze comforting the pair of soldiers over their friend's horrific end. She listened, offering a sympathetic nod or kind word. "He was a brave soldier. One of the finest," she said and looked to me, giving a slight gesture with her head. I agreed with her statement and collapsed beside her, taking a few minutes to breathe.

If not for helping Blaze with easing the soldiers' mourning and the fact that we were still in danger, I could've fallen asleep right there, hard rocks, dusty ground, and all. My brain felt like it had been swaddled in blankets, muffled and cut off from all senses, and thrown into the middle of a fog. All I could think was how inviting Blaze's back looked as a pillow.

"We need to keep moving," Blaze said to the soldiers and stood. "There will be time for mourning later. He would want you two to make it out." She helped them up and turned to me. I didn't want to move and she bent over, worried. "Silver?"

"Yeah," I said, grunting and finding a hand hold in the wall. "I'm up. I'm up."

We were more fortunate with the rest of the traps. Most seemed to have stopped working or were completely broken. Two logs from ropes hung from the ceiling, with scattered bones beneath them. Another was a door with what seemed to be some sort of code etched into it that had been smashed through.

On the one hand, I was grateful that whoever had come through before us had seen to it these traps were disabled. Then again, this also meant the emerald might be gone. Blaze shared my concern on her face and we quickened our pace.

Soon, the tunnel widened and expanded so we could walk four abreast and we arrived at a pair of dull-white marble doors. I grabbed the handle and yanked the doors open easily. We stepped inside and our collective jaws dropped.

Gold. Gems. Priceless artifacts. Mountains of it heaped on either side of us. Chests overflowing with gold coins, spilling them all over the floor. One-of-a-kind paintings and statues drowned amidst gold, jewels, and pearls. I ran my fingers over rubies and opals the size of my fist, holding them up to Blaze's lit fingers.

"So the legend is true," she said.

"Does that mean the treasure is cursed?" one of the soldiers asked, examining a sculpted urn inlaid with diamonds.

"I doubt it," Blaze said. "But we can worry about all this later. First things first, we need to find that emerald and the other soldiers."

"Right," I said, dropping my gem.

Splitting up, we meandered through the treasure room, searching high and low for any sign of the Sol Emerald. I found plenty of regular emeralds, some with beauty to rival the Sol Emeralds themselves, but there was no sign of our prize.

I bumped into Blaze as she dug through a chest, found nothing, and kicked it shut. "Anything?" I asked.

"Nothing," she said. "You?"

"No. Don't worry, I'm sure it's still here." I lifted off the ground with some difficulty. I wouldn't be able to fly for long, but being so close to the emerald had renewed my energy a bit. "I'm going to go up high, see if I can spot it from above."

"Good idea," she said.

I stayed a little low from the shadowy ceiling, the thought of giant spiders still fresh in my mind, and swept over the area, moving in a slow circle.

"See anything?" Blaze asked.

"Not yet." I needed to make this quick and come down soon. My mind was already drifting away. "It's a little dark. Think you could give me a light?"

"Sure." She lobbed a fireball near me and I caught it in an orb.

Then the ceiling lit up and I saw them less than a couple of feet from me. Dozens of Nega's robots clinging to the ceiling, their guns aimed squarely at me and the others below. They stared at me and I at them. Blaze spotted the robots too, noting they were all around us.

Part of the ceiling gave way, lifting itself upwards and exposing the daylight onto us. A much welcome reprieve any other time, but it was followed by a platform ramp extending to the ground. Nega marched down the ramp, surrounded by robotic guards. The guards spread out, cornering Blaze and the soldiers and Nega smiled.

"Well, I had hoped to make this a surprise, but as usual, you ruin all the fun, Silver," he said. "You can come down now."

I eyed the robots near me, who aimed their guns right at my head. There was no point in resisting. With a sigh, I let the orb and flame vanish and floated down beside Blaze as the robots brought the soldiers to us, pressing us into a tight-knit group. Nega looked to each of us.

"Here I thought I would throw a little get-together for you. After all, I almost pity you having to scrounge around in the castle and underground like the rats you are instead of using actual scouts," he said, patting the chassis of one robot.

I curled my hands. He was one to call others "rats".

"Would've made things much easier for you if you knew where to dig," he said, waiting for an answer. He would have no such satisfaction from us. "Why the silent treatment? Is that any way to greet someone who's giving you a ride out of this dump? Or would you rather go through the spiders again? My robots reported that nest was quite upset when they went through and I'm sure you bunch have riled them up even more. Then again," he sneered in our face, "I'm sure they're quite full after their little snack."

I raised my fist, but Blaze touched my arm, shaking her head. Now wasn't the time. I dropped my arm as she addressed Nega. "Are my people still alive?"

"Of course," he said. So she had been right. Those appendages in the slime weren't ghosts. They were robotic arms, which explained the bit of metal I found on myself. "They're safe and sound for now. As is this." He retrieved a golden yellow gem from inside his coat that shone like the sun, a stark contrast to the dreary and dour atmosphere of this cavern. "I think this will go nice with my collection. As will this."

He reached for Blaze and I jumped between them, decking him in his large nose. A robot hit me from behind and I fell over like a leaf in a gale, too weary to fight. Blaze knelt at my side and Nega sniffed, checking his nose for blood. "Miserable rodent," he said, snarling, then went for Blaze again. He took her purple Sol Emerald, holding them high in victory.

"Yes, these do look lovely together," he said, then ordered his robots to put us on the ship. "Make sure they're locked up tight. We wouldn't want them leaving and missing my ascension to ruler would we?" Two cold, metal arms lifted and dragged me to the ship and Blaze and the soldiers followed. At the foot of the ramp, Nega held the robots up and grabbed my quills, lifting my head to look in his face, which bobbed and floated around with the room. "There's no future for you this time, hedgehog." Then he drew his fist back and knocked me out.

 **A/N:** _Okay. We just need something big to get you two out of my mind._

 **Sword:** _Like an explosion?_

 _Something like that. Hold this. *hands her dynamite* Oh, hello, everyone. We're a bit busy here, but we wanted to thank you for reading the story._

 **Younger Sword:** _And for sticking with us! *strings self with dynamite*_

 _Yes, very. Please let us know what you think of the story so far. As always, take care and see you in the next chapter!_


	17. Chapter 17: The Power of the Emerald

**A/N:** Whew, we're out of my head.

 **Pen:** And soon to be out of sight and out of mind. With but one more disparaging remark, your younger self will be crushed for all eternity!

 **Sword:** You stop that right now, Nega! I mean, Pen! Nega-Pen!

I think these asides are starting to intermix a bit much. While we try to stop them, I'd like to say that Silver, Blaze, and all related material belong to Sega. The story, Sword, and Pen belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Also, thank you to MissMJS and SaltwaterJanuary for their recent reviews. And now, please enjoy.

 **Chapter 17- The Power of the Emerald**

When I woke up, the entire airship was moving, lifting off. I sat up, rubbing my sore head, and surveyed my surroundings. A cold, gray metal cell, with no windows and one securely shut door. Seeing no one else around, I guessed that Blaze and the others were in their own cells as well. So we were completely cut off from each other.

The only furnishing was a television screen in the corner, that blinked on as the ship settled into a smooth course and unknown direction.

Nega appeared on the screen, staring hungrily at the three Sol Emeralds he now possessed: the purple emerald from Blue Mirage, the golden yellow gem from Chateau de Pumken, and a cyan emerald, as pure as a cloudless sky, that I assumed came from the White Jungle temple. He circled the glass casing protecting the jewels, sneering at the camera.

"Thank you, Your Highness, for this most lovely gift," he said. "In return, I shall give you one. You must be terribly homesick after these long journeys. What say we drop on by the castle for a bit on the way to our next destination?" His horrible smile widened at the deadly suggestion. "I'll bring you up to the cockpit when it's time so we can both say 'Hello' together." As he chuckled, the feed ended, leaving us all with nothing to do but wait.

Once the announcement was over, I fashioned a spear of light and threw it at the television, destroying it. It was stupid and used up the scant amount of energy I had recovered, but it was satisfying. I sat down and my body slumped to the floor, unable to think straight. I had to rest more. Although part of me wanted to search for a way out. Yet my brain was too foggy to think, my muscles to weary to pry anything open. Still, I had to—

I was out like a light before I knew it, sleeping soundly. Sometime later, a loud rapping like metal smacking metal echoed off the door. _Whang, whang, whang!_ I jerked awake, propping up on my elbow as two robot guards entered, both armed with guns. "Dr. Nega wishes to see you," one said.

Sighing, I dragged myself to my feet and they ushered me out of the room, handcuffing my arms and legs in the process. In the hall, Blaze, in handcuffs and chains well, waited with the surviving soldiers, all of whom had been stripped of any weapons and armor they had and had been chained together. A third robot was keeping watch over them.

The robots arranged us with Blaze and I up front following a lead robot, while the other two followed from the rear behind the soldiers. Not much we could do in this position. If we tried to fight, the rear guards would kill the soldiers. Cursing artificial intelligence, we marched to the bridge.

Nega swiveled around in his chair when we arrived and greeted us as Blaze and I were separated from the soldiers on opposite ends of the room. "So nice of you to join us, Princess," he said. Beside him was the case of Sol Emeralds. I wanted so badly to smash the glass and grab them, but now wasn't the time.

"Admire them all you want," Nega said, catching me staring at the collection. "They are quite beautiful, aren't they?" He pressed a button on the case, brazenly opening it before us and plucking one from its holder, spinning it in his hands. "And the power within them is all the sweeter." The emerald was right before our eyes, as if he was tempting us. I coldly stared him down and he returned the emerald to the holder.

"You can't do this," I said, but he interrupted me.

"Silver, we've been through this already. According to my calculations, Iblis will be under my control."

"Just like he was last time?" I asked mockingly.

"Furthermore," he said, ignoring the jab, "the more emeralds used to revive Iblis, the stronger it will be when it is awoken. His power with one emerald was enough to devastate the planet. Imagine what all seven can do."

"That's what worries me," I said.

"Well, small minds worry about small things like themselves," he said, spinning back in his chair. He flicked a dismissive hand and said to the robots, "Take them to the window over there. We should be approaching the castle shortly. I wouldn't want them to miss a thing."

We were jostled to the glass-lined front that oversaw the world beneath us. The bright morning sun stung my eyes. Shielding my face, I peered below. We had left the swamp far behind and were now traveling along rich, lush fields of green. In the distance, beyond a row of sloping hills, the castle towers stood erect and faint against the skyline.

"Got any ideas?" I asked, scratching my muzzle and casting a quick look to the side. The soldiers were at the other end, also being forced to watch the imminent destruction from the window.

"Not really," she said. "You?"

I didn't answer right away. The castle was fast approaching and I searched the room. There had to be something we could use, some way out of this predicament.

The robots kept a close eye on us and prevented us from viewing much beyond the castle and its surrounding city coming closer into focus. Nega leaned forward in his seat, his fingertips tapping one another in glee. "Prepare the bombers," he said. A pair of robots saluted and exited the room, drawing my eye to a panel beside the door.

There was a red button, ringed by yellow and black stripes. An emergency button. I mentally slapped myself. Of course, Nega had these installed on his ships for intruders and fires.

"Silver," Blaze whispered under her breath, "what is it?"

"I think I found a way out of this," I said, trying not to eye the button too much in case anyone noticed. "I need a distraction though."

She nodded and shuffled to the side a few feet, keeping her eyes trained on the castle. The robots followed her, leaving me virtually unattended. I inched over to the side, avoiding making eye contact with any robots. Slowly, slowly, one inch at a time.

"Nega," Blaze said, gaining his attention, "I implore you, please do not attack this castle and town again. The people cannot handle another tragedy."

"Precisely," he said. "Once I'm through here, I won't have to worry about your meddlesome interference anymore."

"Then keep me here," Blaze said. "Keep me as a prisoner as long as you wish. Just please, spare my people."

"And where would be the benefit in that?" he asked. "Once word gets out I have you, your people will come rescue their princess, and I can't have any more distractions."

"Then I'll call them off. I only beg that you leave them be."

The radio buzzed on Nega's console. "Sir, the bombers have launched and are approaching the castle."

"Say I spare them? What then?" Nega asked her. "You'll willingly stay here and not try to escape. You'll abdicate your throne and support my new rule over this world? You'll bow to me?"

The pain and vile disgust for him was evident in her eyes. But then Blaze knelt down on one knee, surprising all of us, even the robots and Nega. The mad doctor raised a curious eyebrow as she nodded. "Yes, I will. As long as you let them live."

I was within range of the button. Forming a small shaft of light, I guided it low to the ground and to the emergency button.

Nega stroked his mustache for a few seconds, humming to himself at the prospect. The radio crackled to life again. "Sir? Your orders?"

He pressed the button to respond and took a deep breath, keeping us all on edge for a heartbeat. "They may fire when ready."

"No!" Blaze said, shooting up.

"Take any prisoners you can and continue firing until the entire city is rubble."

"Yes, sir," and the radio cut off.

Nega turned back to the princess, who glared at him while clasping her hands for mercy. "Please, don't," she begged.

"You care more for your people than your own life. Harming you will do no good. If I spare your people and continue on, you'll still oppose me. If I really want to get through to you, Your Highness, I need to hit you where it hurts."

"Then I will never surrender to you," she said.

"And what of the people I intend to capture? If you don't submit, then you will die along with them" he said. "And you can watch each and every one, starting with your boyfriend." He pointed to the window where I had been. "Wha—"

The emergency alarm went off and the robots went into a panic, searching for the cause. I dashed through the gaggle of machines as Nega rounded toward me. His hand reached for a pistol holstered in his chair and was quick on the draw. He fired at and I caught the laser bolt in a teal bubble. Ducking my head and holding my handcuffs up, I let the laser bolt loose and it seared through the links.

Frustrated, Nega fired off several more shots in anger. I caught each one, kicking my legs through a particular low shot to break the chains on my legs. The rest, I flung towards the chains for Blaze and the soldiers, then in Nega's direction, destroying computers and monitors all over the bridge and showering him in sparks. Leaping over the console, I kicked him in the chest.

The large man reeled back and yelled for his robots to kill us. I lifted him into the air, swinging him in close between me and his robots. I decked his nose and he reeled back, cursing and holding his face. "This is for everyone you've killed," I said, throwing him into the console. I hopped onto his back and mashed his face into the buttons, as the monitors flashed all sorts of information and made erroneous chimes and beeps.

I raised my fist and hit him hard in the cheek, over and over, letting all my pent-up anger rage out. He tried to bite me, catching my knuckles a few times. My hand stung, but I was pretty sure I knocked a couple of teeth loose. "We should have never taken you in," I said as he elbowed my chest. I blocked his second attempt and twisted his arm behind his back. "Gardon and I should've left you out in the desert."

"You're right," he said. "Unfortunately, neither of you soft-hearted fools could. Look where that got you now."

I heard a gun click and the next moment, my shoulder burned like it was on fire. There was a black mark, already cauterized by the laser bolt Nega had fired from under his arm. He spun around, cradling the arm I had twisted and aiming the gun at my head. "Goodbye, rodent."

A fireball shot out from our side, catching his hand. Nega yelped, dropping the gun, and it clattered underneath the consoles. Blaze readied another fireball and hurled it over our heads into a swarm of robots. A deafening _boom!_ rocked me forward and into a chair.

By then, we were right over the city and an air battle was raging outside. At first, it seemed like Nega's pilots were turning on one another, blowing each other to bits as they flew by the window. But after a few moments, we realized that several of the planes had been painted with purple stripes and the crest of Blaze's house, a stalwart castle flying a banner.

"It's Gardon!" one of the soldiers shouted.

Nega and the robots couldn't comprehend what they were seeing. He slammed his fist on the radio button. "Focus all attention on those ships. I want Gardon and the rest of their air force dead immediately!"

"Oh, no you don't!" I said. Taking advantage of the confusion aboard the bridge at this new turn of events, I lifted Nega up and slammed him into the roof.

The air gushed out of him, but he managed a weak cry. "Kill them!"

The robots behind me steadied their weapons, training us in their sights. I flung Nega at them, knocking several out of the way of the only exit. But just when I thought we could make it through, the exit door slid open to reveal more robots, armed and ready to join the fray.

Rushing to the exit door, I forced it shut with my power. Blaze was by my side and seared through the circuits for the controls that opened the door. Then she set to work torching the edges of the door, sealing it shut. "This should keep them at bay for a few minutes," she said.

The soldiers had armed themselves with guns and were dispatching the last of the robots on the bridge. "Okay, but how do we get off?" I asked aloud, then spotted the radio on the console. It was thankfully still active and gave me an idea.

Nega groaned from the floor and I kicked him on my way to the console, knocking him out for a moment more. I fiddled with the radio's controls, unsure what I was really doing, and hoping for the best. "Gardon? Are you there?" Nothing. I didn't even know if there was a radio in their planes or if this could reach it, but I continued adjusting the settings, hoping it worked. "Gardon? Can you hear me?"

After several different attempts and settings, a faint voice answered my call. "S..ver?"

"Gardon?" I asked, turning up the volume. "I can barely hear you. Are you there?"

"Yeah," he said, his voice a little louder. "Where are you? Nega's attacking the castle again and we're barely holding our own."

"Well, funny thing actually," I said. "We're in his flagship."

"You're where?"

"It's a long story and we'll explain later." Blaze joined me at the console. "Can you come pick us up?"

"I would if we could get clear of these things," he said and an explosion echoed on the other end of the radio. Outside, one of the robot planes burst into a cloud of smoke while one of the painted planes zipped through the smoke and chased another target. "But there's too many of them."

"Is there a way we could call Nega's planes off or make them self-destruct?" Blaze asked.

"Not that I know of," I said. "Most of Nega's ships in the future were already broken down and abandoned. It never really came up."

"There has to be something here," she said, cycling through the screens on the console.

"Gardon, hang tight. We'll see if we can find something to help you out," I said.

"Roger."

We scanned through the screens, searching for anything that looked like a self-destruct sequence. Of course, we came up empty-handed. Nega was a lot of things, but he wasn't stupid. He would hide any command like that where only he could find it in the right circumstance.

As Blaze continued searching, my gaze drifted to the Sol Emeralds. "What about those?" I asked.

"What about them?" she asked.

"The Sol Emeralds are supposed to hold a lot of power. Suppose we attach it to one of the anti-air guns up top?"

"Do you know how to install an ancient, all-powerful emerald into an anti-air gun?" she asked and I dropped my eyes. "It's a nice thought, but even if one of us knew how, it would take some time. Time we don't have."

"Well, how about you use it?" I asked. "It might amplify your powers and you could easily take out the planes."

"No," she said sternly. "We can't tamper with that power. You've seen what Nega can do with it in your own time. It's uncontrollable. It could destroy everything."

"So could this ship." We were out of options. I grabbed one of the Sol Emeralds and before Blaze could stop me, I pushed out a broken section of the window. I held on tightly to the purple emerald and pushed it out in front of me.

"Silver, you can't!" Blaze said, sprinting for me. "It takes an extreme amount of willpower to control it! You could destroy everyone!"

But all I saw below was the castle crumbling and the people running scared. I squeezed the gem, wanting its power to course through me. But nothing was happening. I shielded myself from Blaze, creating a wall that separated me from the rest of the bridge and tried again.

Again, nothing.

Why? I concentrated harder, shutting my eyes and blocking out all sounds. The noise of gunfire, of ships exploding, of Blaze's warnings. The emerald sat there. Why couldn't I do it? If Nega could release its power for evil, why couldn't I for good?

Please, I prayed and everything fell away into the background. There was only me, holding the emerald, struggling to tap into its power. Please.

Then, a spark. A flickering sensation in my fingertips. This had to be it. The warmth that radiated in my palm had to be the Sol Emerald's power. I focused harder, sweat pouring down my brow, and the feeling washed over me, filling me head to toe.

I cracked an eye and my entire arm was aglow in a brilliant light I had never seen before, brighter and more vibrant than my own power. Was this the emerald, me, or a combination?

"Silver," Blaze said quietly behind me.

Time seemed to slow down around me, but not the gem. No, the Sol Emerald pulsed like a heartbeat, each pump filling my body with more and more. My eyes were glued to the gem as my arm trembled, the sensation becoming overwhelming.

My entire body shook, unable to contain the emerald's power intermingling with my own. I had to release it. But I didn't know how. Images flashed through my mind of Blaze, the brave solders fighting Nega, the robots in the sky, Nega's ships. It was all a jumble. I pushed the robots to the front of my mind, needing to use the emerald on them.

Yet still, the power continued to build. I didn't know how to release it. My body felt like it was ripping itself apart, muscles tearing, skin and fur splitting, every inch rendering like a bomb slowly exploding. I shouted at the top of my lungs, the agony too great to bear. I don't know if anyone heard me or not, as the next second, I saw the glow surrounding me burst into the air, blinding me and swallowing the ship, the battle, and the morning sky.

Then I collapsed, falling over and gasping for air. Every breath hurt, my lungs aching for air and my chest willing me to stop. In an instant, Blaze was at my side and soldiers around us yelled and gestured.

"Grab the other emeralds!" Blaze shouted overhead. Then sounds of gunfire echoed around us, closer than before, and fast laser shots took out one of the soldiers above me. Blaze waved the other soldiers away and they took up defensive positions, firing back at whoever was attacking us on the bridge.

I didn't make much sense of what all had occurred until I was being lifted and seated somewhere else next to Blaze, the emerald still clenched in my fist. We were flying through the air, and all around us, bits of fiery metal rained to the earth like comets. Nega's large, cumbersome ships were turning tail, retreating from the battle.

I used up the little bit of coherence and strength I had to put the pieces together and ask, "We won?" My throat was sore and raw and tasted awful, coated with bile and smoke from the battle.

Blaze looked at me in surprise and pressed her face into mine. "Silver! Are you okay?" I looked at her, unable to bring myself to speak again and she understood. "Yes, we won."

I smiled at her, grateful and relieved, and closed my eyes as the plane touched down.

 **A/N:**

 **Pen:** And done! The last bad review to tank your writing before it ever begins.

 **Sword:** But Pen! You forgot something. We had crappy internet when the author was younger. So he can't check his email yet! There's still time.

 **Pen:** Curse you, Florida internet providers!

Hello, everyone. Thank you once again for reading. We tried to end this one on a bit of a calmer note and hopefully, the next few chapters will be a bit of a breather. Please let us know what you think of the story. As always, we love hearing from you.


	18. Chapter 18: Happy Together

**A/N:** Quick! Cancel our internet subscription!

 **Pen:** Then your younger self won't be able to upload stories.

Argh, got me there. Okay, Sword, stall my younger self from checking his email.

 **Sword and Young Sword:** Roger!

As for all you people out there, hello again. Silver, Blaze, and all related material belong to Sega. The story, Sword, and Pen belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Also, thank you to MissMJS for her recent reviews. And now, please enjoy.

 **Chapter 18- Happy Together**

I was immediately rushed to the infirmary at the castle once the plane stopped and I sank in and out of unconsciousness. I remember being surrounded by other wounded soldiers and frantic faces. Within the day, I was left alone in a separate room to slowly take stock of the situation.

On the bright side, I wasn't mummified in bandages this time and most of the external injuries would heal quickly. But internally, I ached with every move. The experience was surreal as I sat up and lowered one foot, then the other to the floor, like I was re-entering my body after a long time and realizing what had occurred, or the little bits I could piece together.

I shuffled to the door, refusing to be confined to a bed again, and headed down the hall. A nurse crossed my path, her eyes widening at the sight of me. I suppose I did look a mess. Dressing here and there and my fur sticking up at odd ends all over. I'm sure my haggard appearance reflected the soreness I felt all over.

"Sir, you shouldn't be up," she said, trying to take my hand.

I formed a small glowing bubble between me and here, blocking her reach. "I'll be fine," I said. Again, she was taken aback and I waddled down the hall, rounding the corner before I collapsed onto the wall, gripping it for support.

A few more turns and I ran into Gardon. He ran over to help me and I didn't protest as he took some of my weight, letting me lean on him. "Keep bouncing back quicker and quicker," he said, helping me down the stony corridor.

"It's a bad habit," I muttered as we sidestepped some rubble. In fact, the further we went, the more walls and parts of the roof had collapsed all around. Able-bodied soldiers and servants were digging through the ruins, salvaging any items, weapons, and food they could. Some were digging out people trapped under the giant stones, refugees and those of the castle who had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

More than a few piles had a pale, stiff limb jutting out of the mess. These were torn down slowly, those digging not in any particular hurry to see which of their close friends had been lost.

I felt sick to my stomach and had to stop at several points. Even walking made the tears in my muscle and tissue from earlier that I thought had been in my mind seem all the more real. I refused to sit down and after a few minutes, would continue on until I needed another rest.

"Tell me," I said during one breather. "What all happened up there?"

"You took out a good chunk of Nega's fleet is what you did," he said. "Saved us and the castle from being completely wiped out."

"All with the Sol Emerald?" I asked. He nodded. "But how did it work? How did I do it?" And suddenly, I was woozy and swallowed some bile in my throat.

"The Princess can explain that all in good time," he said, rubbing my back and easing the pain. "For now, I'm sure she'll want to see that you're up and around. Come on, this way."

He took my arm and led me to a large bedroom chamber, which had been temporarily transformed into another infirmary for the overflow of patients. Families huddled close around their loved ones as the physicians and their assistants hopped from gurney to gurney, inspecting injuries and doing what they could. In a connecting room, I saw several people surrounding one patient, brandishing surgical knives. One triumphantly produced a squashed bullet in his forceps. "Three down," he said and went back to work.

Down the hall, outside the room, Blaze was surrounded by a group of officials in long, ornate robes that had been burned and coated in soot. "Her advisors," Gardon said. "She's been getting nonstop reports of all the damage over the city."

Judging by her sagging frown and weary eyes, the news was obviously not good. "How bad?" I asked as she nodded to some advisors and rubbed her face.

"You don't want to know," he said. "Our Nega was bad, but yours was ruthless. He knew we couldn't defend ourselves, not really, so he targeted the most heavily populated areas."

That sounded about right. Blaze broke off from the advisors, excusing herself for a moment and entering the infirmary. On the way in, she slowed in her stride, surprised to see me. "Hey," I said.

A small smile graced her ever-lovely features. "Good to see you up," she said, then gave me a look that we would talk later. We stood aside and she entered the room, greeting those in the infirmary while her advisors waited for her.

"She's gotten much better recently," Gardon said quietly, musing to himself. A suggestive twinkle in his eye caught my attention. "I wonder why."

"What do you mean?"

He merely pointed at Blaze as she comforted those in the infirmary, ensuring everyone was safe and provided for. She lingered by one gurney where a soldier was having the bones set in his legs. The soldier's wife was on one side, holding her husband's hand, and Blaze took the soldier's other hand, encouraging him to be strong as the physician shifted the last bones into place.

"She's not as stiff and restrained as she used to be," Gardon said. "She's changed a lot recently."

"Well, with the adventure we've been on, that can happen," I said. "She would have to be a good leader to get through it."

"She already was," he said. "And she has led squads and armies into battle before. But like I said before, she was never good at connecting with people on a personal level. She could talk the part, act the part, but never immerse herself in it. Until now."

"Then," I watched her, noting how easily she helped others, "what do you think changed?"

"You," he said. "Your arrival."

"Me?"

"For whatever reason, she is more comfortable around you than around anyone else I have ever seen." He didn't need to state the reason, for I saw it in his small smirk and knew it in my chest. For it was the same reason I felt at ease, yet stressed, confident, yet weak-kneed around her all the time.

"I think I better go lay back down," I said, a fresh wave of nausea hitting me hard. Gardon agreed and led me back to the room.

* * *

By nightfall, I was feeling better, although my mind was frantic about the revelation Gardon had pointed out. I didn't really know what to do or how to take it. Part of me soared to the heavens while the rest trembled in fear that what I had been dwelling on and wondering was finally confirmed by another. Thankfully, before I could drive myself completely insane, Gardon fetched me for a private dinner with him and the Princess.

"She'll join us in a while," he said, leading me to the familiar private dining room we had eaten at before. "The Princess is busy meeting the dignitaries from the other countries that she put out a call to."

"Then they've sent help?" I asked. To answer my question, a group of foreign soldiers, wielding halberds and marching in complete sync, passed us to the main dining hall.

"Yes, indeed," he said. "Each dignitary has brought a small army with them, on loan from each of the countries. We all set out first thing tomorrow morning to locate and protect the remaining Sol Emeralds."

We entered the dining room and took our seats, waiting to be served. "Tomorrow?"

"Well, we have no time to waste. Nega isn't going to slow down, damaged ships or not. If he gets his hands on any more emeralds, next time he assaults us will be the last time. We need to beat him to the punch. Are you up for it?"

"Of course," I said. "I just didn't expect it to be so soon."

"If we don't leave soon, we may follow the same fate as your world. And from the things you've told us, nobody wants that."

"No," I said as the food was brought out and set before us. "No, you don't."

We thanked the servants and they scampered off to their own meals as Blaze entered the room. As soon as the doors were shut and we were completely alone, she sank into the chair, allowing the full weight of the responsibility and stress to slide off her shoulders and dangle from her limbs, making her movements slow and lethargic.

"How are you both?" she asked, moreso checking on me and my wounds. She grabbed the pitcher from the middle of the table and filled her glass.

"We're fine. And you?"

"I'm well. Sorry, I'm late," she said. "Have you already been told about tomorrow?"

"Yes, that we're going after the other Sol Emeralds," I said.

"We finalized the plans for tomorrow. Each of the dignitaries will travel to separate destinations with their armies, led by one of our generals."

"And us?" Gardon asked.

"We'll be traveling with one as well, to the Diamond Dust Mountains." A frozen series of mountains if I remembered correctly.

"I'll be sure to pack warm," Gardon said.

We ate in silence for a few minutes, nobody really talking as we allowed Blaze to recover her strength. Once her usual glow had started to re-appear, she dabbed her mouth with a napkin and set down her utensils. "So," she said and I swallowed a wad of food in my mouth, "I'm sure you're wondering what happened on the bridge and what you did." I nodded and wiped my mouth as well. "Well, I can tell you it was a very foolish, albeit very brave, thing."

"Par for the course then," Gardon said, chuckling at his joke.

"I'm guessing I unleashed the power of the Sol Emerald?" I said.

"You would be correct. And it took out a dozen of Nega's planes in the blast that were nearby. Even did a lot of damage to his ship. The best way I can describe it was a large energy pulse around you."

"Did we manage to get the others?"

She shook her head. "Some of the soldiers tried, but by then, Nega's robots had broken through. I didn't think about the other emeralds until too late, but I was more concerned about you."

The comment was refreshing and made me feel better. Gardon looked up momentarily and if he was taken aback by her candidness, he didn't show it. "I'm glad I didn't grab two. One was bad enough. It felt like I was being torn in half by the power."

"I should think so," she said. "You absorbed a lot of the emerald's energy. Too much, really. In any other case, you would be dead. It takes a strong willpower to use the Sol Emeralds like that. Even then, it's still dangerous."

"But surely you know how to use them?" I asked. "After all, your kingdom protects one of them. Why wouldn't you use it then if you knew how to?"

Gardon exchanged a wary look with Blaze and she sighed. "When our kingdom was first formed, the first monarch did know how to use them, yes. In fact, legend tells that he could use all seven of the Sol Emeralds to release an unbeatable power, unlike any the world has ever seen. Over the years, his lineage has had varying success with the emeralds. Different families have come to sit on the throne through war and marriage so that nowadays, our ancestor's blood and ability is so diluted that it's a miracle if anyone can even use one, much less all seven."

"And can you use one?"

"Somewhat," she said. "When young, all the monarchs are taught how to use the Sol Emeralds in case the occasion calls for it. Even if they aren't able to, the knowledge is still passed down. I learned when I was very young and was able to use it, but," she paused and a sense of dread formed in my stomach, clashing with the full belly of food, "I wasn't able to properly wield it, similar to you. Only instead of a wave, mine came out in a blast of fire. Destroyed parts of the castle and the town."

"Was anyone, uh," I didn't know how to properly get the words out, but she understood.

"Thankfully, no. Some close calls though. Since then, I refused to use the Sol Emeralds unless absolutely necessary and when left with no other option."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." I flexed my hand, the sting from the power lingering a moment to remind me of my attempt. "I can see why though. This morning, I thought it would rip me apart. Doubt I'll try that again."

"I wouldn't be so quick to write it off," she said, taking a sip of her drink. "It's rare that those outside of our lineage have the natural ability to wield the Sol Emeralds, much less the willpower to absorb its energy." Her eyes sparkled with thoughtful appreciation and a hint of something more. "Perhaps, in time, you could learn how to use the Sol Emeralds. With some one-on-one training."

"But I'm not royalty," I pointed out.

She shrugged. "I don't believe there is any law against that. If so, I'm sure we can make an exception or find ways around it." Her tone was a bit suggestive and Gardon choked on a bite of food. He beat his chest, freeing the piece, then returned to his plate. As it slowly dawned on me, she added, "You would need some training though."

"N-Not anytime soon I hope," I said, stammering as much as my hands shook, and failing to hide my goofy grin.

Over the lip of her goblet, she smiled at me too. "Of course."

* * *

What was I doing?!

That was the prevalent question that burned in my brain as I walked the nighttime streets with Blaze after our meal.

For one, I should have still been in bed and resting for the day to come. Or so the physician told me. That hadn't happened all day before dinner and it certainly wasn't going to happen now after it. So foolish as it was, I had accepted Blaze's request after dinner to join her on a stroll.

However, my mind chastised me more over the situation I was putting myself in. It told me to reject Blaze's offer, turn in early for the night, stay steadfast in her radiant presence. The same demands that had been nagging me ever since I first laid eyes on her. Now with us so close to one another and in a delicate position, they were practically screaming at me.

The streets were mostly empty. The townspeople had turned in for the night and only the city watch remained. While Gardon wanted Blaze to have a detachment of soldiers, she had refused, pointing to me. "Nega is gone. I think we'll be fine on our own. I have Silver with me." With the shape I was in, she was more likely to be protecting _me_ if we ran into trouble. Gardon had relented, on the condition we be careful. He had also given me a look that lasted a second longer than necessary before leaving us to our walk.

I had been so deep in thought that I hadn't paid attention to our surroundings until Blaze pointed out the fields nearby. I realized we had walked out of the town, yet were still within clear view of the outer walls.

"Over here," she said, guiding me through the field. The further off the path we went, the more I saw strange, silvery glows within the gently swaying grass blades. When she finally stopped, there was a small flowerbed of the unusual plant. Their petals opened wide, drooping toward the ground and almost touching one another in an oval. In the light of the night sky, they took on a beautiful, celestial hue, as if capturing the moonlight and reflecting it.

"What are they?" I asked, crouching down and fingering one of the petals to get a better look.

"Moon Lilies," she said, sitting down beside me.

"They're gorgeous. I've never seen any flower like it."

"As far as I know, they're only found here." She crossed her arms on her legs, admiring the flowers. "Normally, they're pale and dull during the day, and die if left long in the sun. They only grow at night and bloom at certain times. Some can even take years, but if you're patient, they'll eventually show their real color."

"They are something," I said, sitting back.

"That they are," she said. "I like to come out and look at them sometimes when I'm stressed."

"Well, flowers are soothing."

"It's not just that. According to our history, that's how our ancestors found this place to settle. This used to be the clearing in the middle of a forest. The first settlers became lost in the woods and couldn't find their way out."

"So they used Moon Lillies?"

"Yeah. They found these plants shine the brightest at night, almost like a small moon, hence their name. They led the settlers out of the forest and to a large clearing, where our town was born. I like to come here and be reminded of that." She plucked one of the flowers, spinning it between her fingers. "That no matter how grim things become, there's always hope to guide you out of the darkness. That's why we cultivate them so much here."

She pointed the stem back to the castle. "When people look out from that town, they're reminded of that. There's always a glimmer on the horizon." She turned the stem to the landscape around us and I spied the shining spots on the hills in distance, like tiny stars that had grown bored of watching the world and had come to join us. "It's one thing to admire about the night."

"Yeah, it is," I said. "Can't say we had anything like that in our world, but I enjoyed the night just as well." Not wanting to ruin the mood, I stopped. However, she waited for me to continue.

"Why's that?" she asked.

"Well, it covered the land," I said slowly. "Hid the horrors for a while." Her expression dropped as I went on. "I could at least pretend everything was back to normal before the sun rose each day and spoiled the illusion." Most mornings, I had cursed the sun, for all it did was cover the wasteland in long, haunting shadows at dawn and dusk, then highlight the brutality of Iblis' reign throughout the day.

Blaze's fingers touched mine and a warm sensation spread up my arm. I was sure she wasn't using her power this time. "There is another reason to enjoy the night as well," she said, indicating the sky. "Probably the best of all."

I lifted my weary head to the sky, where far away from the moon, numerous stars twinkled like Moon Lillies sprouting and blooming in the very fabric of the universe. "Millions of stars," she said. "Millions of places and lives of hopes and possibilities. Just like the millions of choices and outcomes we have here. One where your future occurs and Iblis dominates all. Another where we win and the world is safe."

At that, my eyes instantly drifted to some of the brighter stars in a tight cluster. "Perhaps even one where you're happy." Happy. The thought of it hit me. A long-sought after dream. Did I dare hope to have a happy, normal life after all of this was over? "Maybe," Blaze said, "one where we're both happy…together."

The last part trailed out of her mouth softly, but I caught it and it brought me back down to earth. There was an expression on her that I had only caught glimpses of. Openness, highlighted by her red cheeks. There were no villagers, soldiers, or anyone around. It was only the two of us and she was finally speaking aloud what I had been battling with for days now.

She didn't face me, but talked more to her knees than anything else. "Since you've been here, you've given me a resolve I didn't know was possible. Being around you only strengthens that. And, I like it. I," she licked her lips and swallowed, "I want to be around you."

Together.

Together with her. Here, happy, with Blaze. Princess or no, I could be with Blaze. Was such a thing possible?

Again, old, tired arguments reared their ugly heads. I wasn't even meant to be in this time, much less fraternizing with anyone. And here I was, planning to settle down with the Princess of the kingdom. Nega had warned us against changing too much in the past.

All that reasoning didn't tear down the one question:

So?

So what if we were from different universes? We loved one another, didn't we? Wasn't that good enough?

I blinked and my breath quickened. Was that truly what this was? Real, honest-to-goodness love?

I had never had the opportunity to experience this in my world or find anyone special, not like Blaze. But here, there was a chance. We were already changing fate by saving the planet. What was one more minor detail in the grand scheme? Love transcends time, space, and all between, or so I had once heard.

Looking back at her, I smiled and said, "You've always had that resolve."

"Then you've shown me how to use it." She leaned in closer. It was unbearably hot, I thought, even as a cool breeze brushed my face.

"And you've shown me mine," I said. "And kept me grounded."

She smirked. "I guess that fits since you've been helping me fly." I shared a chuckle with her and her voice dropped to a whisper. "I like it, as well as you."

"And I like that outcome you mentioned," I said, closing the short gap left between us. We embraced, our lips meshing together into perfect harmony as I fell backwards with her into the flowerbed. Neither of us minded. Our eyes closed and we enjoyed the kiss and each other under the stars.

The two of us.

Together.

 **A/N:** Yes, that's right, I need to cancel my internet…Yes, I'll hold.

 **Sword:** Younger self stalled!

Excellent. How?

 **Younger Sword:** We smashed his router!

…I meant, like, hide an Ethernet cable or something. Anyway, thank you all for reading. Please let us know what you think of the story so far. Bye-bye for now.


	19. Chapter 19: Ahead of Schedule

**A/N:** Well…no one to bounce wackiness off of. They all went off to try to suspend all the internet subscription. Let's continue on, shall we? As always Silver, Blaze, and all related material belong to Sega. The story, Sword, and Pen belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Also, thank you to MissMJS, KnightofTheWind, Lilly The Omega Wolf, and the anonymous guest for their recent reviews. And now, please enjoy…Kind of boring without them here, really.

 **Chapter 19- Ahead of Schedule**

We were packed and ready to leave the town before first light. The planes had been repaired and scattered among the various convoys to provide air support. Thankfully, Gardon and a choice pair of soldiers accompanied ours. Additionally, Blaze had unveiled three large vehicles for each group, courtesy of earlier battles with Nega and spacious enough to move small forces. The plan was that two of the three vehicles and the planes would scout ahead of each army, clearing the way and reporting any danger. Once the vehicles off-loaded their first transports at the site of a Sol Emerald, they would return to the marching army for more passengers, ferrying them quickly to the site, while those left behind at the Sol Emerald would prepare their defenses and begin their search.

As I checked our supplies and the wheels of a vehicle, I spotted Blaze by the driver door, discussing their intended path with a dignitary. The conversation ended and I caught her eye. A small smile graced her lips and her cheeks heated up like mine. I fumbled my hand around the tires, pretending to still check them, but leaned too far into empty space. I face-planted into a pile of grass.

Before anyone could see, I hopped up and noticed her shaking her head. She reached up for the door, feeling her way for the handle and missing by several inches, banging on the door instead. She finally grabbed the handle, tucked her chin into her chest in embarrassment, and crawled into the front seat.

"You know," Gardon said, slapping my back and leaning against the wheels, "I don't think I've seen teenagers as giddy as you two." He raised a hand as I opened my mouth. "Save it. It's plain on your face. If the Princess if happy, then I'm happy for you two. Goodness knows she could use something bright in her life."

That makes two of us, I thought, looking at her door.

Then Gardon's expression became serious. "But I'll tell you the same thing I tell all my infatuated recruits when they find love. They'll be time for all this later. Right now, your head needs to be in the here and now."

"Right," I said, nodding. "See you there."

"Watch yourself," he said and I climbed into the vehicle. Before I shut the door, he added, "And Silver." I caught his amused grin. "I'm glad it was you."

"Me too," I said.

* * *

The drive was slow-going and hours passed by in silence. The soldiers talked very little and the dignitary in the front seat beside Blaze asked questions about Nega's forces now and then. I sat behind her, with nothing much to do, but watch the landscape slowly freeze as we trekked further north. Frost tipped the trees and grass, and chilly air covered the window at first, then soon snow blew down from the steep mountains of ice and slush.

Several times, it almost seemed like we wouldn't make it. The vehicle would stall in snow, digging its wheels into the ground furiously. I flicked my wrist and the wheels would lurch forward enough that we shot up the mountainside, nearly missing rocks, sharp drop-offs, or more dangerous inclines.

We wormed our way through narrow passes and around blockades of snow until we arrived at a flat clearing. Everyone bundled up in coats, scarves, wool boots, and anything else to keep them warm before exiting the vehicle. Nearby was a cave where the Sol Emerald in this area was supposed to reside. We quickly unloaded our gear, and hurried into the cave and out of the snowstorm.

Blaze dug a walkie-talkie out of one sack and radioed the vehicles to move on and bring back more troops. Then she called Gardon. "How is it up there?"

On the other end, I heard clicking static, then realized it was actually chattering teeth. "C-C-Cold. N-No sign of N-N-Nega."

"Why don't you fly up higher above the storm?" I asked.

"And m-m-miss this lo-lovely weather?" He gave a shivering laugh. "B-Besides, N-N-N-Nega may co-come in low-ow-ow."

"Then come down to the cave. It won't do us any good if you all freeze to death up there and crash. Land the planes at the clearing and come in," Blaze said. "The snowstorm will mask our presence. If Nega comes, you'll have time to take off."

"R-Roger that."

By the time the planes landed, the soldiers had already built a roaring fire in the cave that everyone crowded around. Gardon and the other pilots rushed in, with so much frost and snow clinging to their faces that they looked like snowmen pilots. I stepped aside to let them warm themselves and they flopped beside the fire, heating every inch of themselves and all but throwing their limbs into the white hot flames. Blaze had also taken her leave, joining the dignitary and a few captains in reviewing the history tome.

"We'll give them some time to warm up," she said, nodding to the soldiers. "Then we can split up. According to this, it should be deeper within." The captains cast some doubtful looks at the dozen tunnels leading further into the cave. Each tunnel was made of pure ice, blues and greens that mixed and flowed together in all sorts of patterns beneath the clear surface. And all of them appeared to be the exact same, with no clear difference to distinguish one from another.

"Right, we'll get the troops sorted," the dignitary said and ordered the captains to their squads. I took the opportunity and sidled up beside her, whispering in her ear.

"Guess who," I said.

She shook her head. "A rather naïve hedgehog?"

"That's not what you were saying last night," I said and she stuck her nose deeper in the book. I glanced up at the ceiling of the cave, my mouth dropping in awe. "Speaking of last night." I pointed upwards.

High above us, the ceiling was packed with hard snow and ice, forming a watery spread like sunlight hitting the ocean. Thousands of glittering ice pieces winked back at us and I understood the meaning behind the name. "They look like hundreds of diamonds."

"Yes," she said and then surprised me with a peck on the cheek while no one was watching. "Now, let's stay focused," she said, clearing her throat.

Little chance of that now and I snuck a kiss back in, earning a playful elbow and a muttered, "Silver." Yet there was no hiding the delighted look in her eyes

Fifteen minutes later, we had separated into two groups to explore the tunnels. Blaze and I had paired off, but Gardon volunteered to accompany us with a few soldiers. "No telling what could happen to the Princess in there," he said, giving me a long look, as if reminding me of our mission.

The tunnel we chose was long and snake-like. Each group was assigned a soldier who doubled as a cartographer that sketched out the layout of the tunnel as we explored it. There was no sign of anything as far as we could tell. Ice, ice, and more ice that glowed in the light of Blaze's fireballs, and only one lonesome, solitary path

As the tunnel curved around and straightened again, we bumped into the other group exploring an opposite tunnel. Blaze halted our group and asked, "Was there only one path for you?"

"Yes, Your Highness," one of the soldiers said. They produced their sketch of their tunnel and we compared it to ours. It connected perfectly. The tunnel merely looped around into two ends.

"Alright," Blaze said. "Let's head out and try another."

Unfortunately, the next tunnel we selected turned out to be no better. Once more, we ran into the other group and determined that the tunnel looped. So it was for every tunnel after that until we had exhausted our options. The soldiers, Blaze, and the dignitary looked over the maps, studying them for any clue to set us on the road to the Sol Emerald.

"Is there anything in the book?" the dignitary asked.

Blaze was ahead of him and already flipping through the history tome. "It says we must find the cave in the tallest mountain and climb up to find the Sol Emerald. In the heart of the highest peak, we will find the jewel of the north."

"That's what we've done," Gardon said. "This is the tallest mountain and we found this cave by climbing up. Is there perhaps a higher cave?"

"Not that I can think of," she said, checking outside. "This is high up to begin with. And there's no path in the tunnels leading up."

"Maybe we have to scale the peak of the mountain," the dignitary suggested. "It could be located in the middle of the peak, the 'heart', as it were." Murmurs spread throughout the group, as many declared it far too cold outside to brace another climb.

I zoned out and stopped paying attention, instead focusing more on the tunnels themselves. Since I wasn't needed, I headed back into the first tunnel, taking a torch with me.

Scouring the ice high and low, I didn't see anything except my own reflection in the walls. And like before, there were no forked paths anywhere. Just the single tunnel loop.

"Find the cave in the tallest mountain and climb up to find the Sol Emerald," I repeated to myself. "In the heart of the highest peak, we will find the jewel of the north." Climb up to find the Sol Emerald. In the heart of the highest peak. Something about the phrasing of that nagged me. Climb up, heart of the peak, climb up…

The flickering flames of the torch directed my eyes up to the ceiling. Like the ceiling in the main cavern, there were sparkling snow all around. But there seemed to be a gap above the ice, where the twinkling lights were high and far above me.

Excited, I floated up and held the torch to the ice. The ceiling began to melt, one slow drop at a time. This wouldn't work. Ditching the idea, I raced back out to the cavern, nearly slipping several times on patches of especially slippery ice.

Once out of the tunnel, I cupped my hands to my mouth. "Bla—Er, Your Highness!" Everyone looked up and I beckoned them over. "This way! I think I found it."

Within minutes, everyone had gathered around the spot that I pointed to. "See? Up there. It's a hole." Several people looked unsure, peering at the dark corner.

Blaze gestured for everyone to stand back. She crafted a fireball and shot it into the ice. Shards broke apart, collapsing on the ground, as the fire seared through the icy ceiling and up into the center of the mountain. We checked the spot again and sure enough, there was a tunnel leading upwards. It seemed never-ending, stretching to the very top of the mountain.

"In the heart of the highest peak," Blaze said, reciting the text. "This has to be it." She flashed a smile at me. "Good find. Let's get going."

Due to the narrow size of the tunnel, there was only enough room for one person to squeeze through at a time. Blaze took a hammer, rope, and a bag of pitons that she strapped around her waist. A few of the soldiers that were going with us took the same items, including Gardon. Everyone attached a harness to themselves, as we weren't sure how far the tunnel led. We would need to hook ourselves regularly to the pitons just in case.

Once we were ready and fed a connecting rope through all of our harnesses, I lifted the group into the air one by one. Blaze started hammering pitons in one by one on our way up with another soldier. The others tied the ropes through the pitons, allowing the ends to dangle down to the ground for any other soldiers who followed.

Every now and then, we hung to the wall, taking a short break so my energy could recharge. But we made good time through the darkness and eventually reached a ledge at the end of the tunnel.

I set everyone on the ledge, then plopped onto the ground myself. Carrying others sure takes the wind out of you, I thought. No time to rest though. Blaze and the others had their harnesses unhitched and were delving further into the upper cave. I loosened my harness and followed the guiding light in Blaze's hand.

Surprisingly enough, the path was rather straightforward and soon opened up in a round chamber, as large as a theater, with no openings whatsoever. "This is it?" Gardon asked.

"Maybe there's another secret tunnel," I said. "Let's spread out."

While they each took a different section of the circular room, I floated up, checking the ceiling and curves of the wall. This all seemed too easy. I had expected a guard or something dangerous by now. I hit my forehead. Don't jinx it, I told myself.

"See anything?" Blaze asked.

It was difficult to see much beyond the ice with a teal orb of light. "Not really," I said.

She sighed and nodded. "Okay, bring me up then."

I lowered down to her side, taking her hand, and we rose to the ceiling together. She seemed less nervous of the height now. Not completely unafraid, as she never once glanced at the floor, but a little calmer. She held my hand in a bone-crunching grip that I suffered through as she cast flames all along the ice, temporarily lighting it up.

"There!" I said, pointing to one spot near us. "There, light that area up again!"

She did and I was sure I saw a flash that time. A red twinkle like the snow. We moved closer to it and I could just make out a small shape buried deep in the ice. "I think this is it."

Blaze held her hand up to the ice, heating it up. It quickly melted and evaporated before her power and her arm sunk deeper into the frozen ceiling until she suddenly stopped. The fire died down and she grunted, tugging at something inside. It clinked and shifted around until she finally freed it.

I held a teal orb up to the prize. A ruby red Sol Emerald. Blaze and I looked at one another. We had actually done it.

"This is about the time where something tries to kill us," she said, eyeing the only exit. "Or a trap activates."

"I don't think so," I said. The others gathered beneath us in curiosity. "I think this time, we got off easy." At least that's what I wanted to hope. It that was going to happen, it would've happened by now.

We floated back to the ground and showed the emerald to the others. The soldiers gaped in awe at it, unused to seeing a jewel of that size and splendor. It still impressed me as well, even after we had found others.

"So this means we're already finished?" one of the soldiers asked.

"I," Blaze hadn't thought about it. Neither had I. "I suppose so."

* * *

We returned to the rest of the army in triumph and the soldiers and dignitary congratulated Blaze on locating the emerald so expediently. "We just got word from one of the vehicles that they will be arriving soon with another load of soldiers," the dignitary said. "Should be any minute now."

"Too bad they're already late to the party," Gardon said. "May as well get packed up and start heading out as soon as they get here."

Blaze agreed. "Yes, we need to get this back to the castle, then see if we can assist the others. No doubt Nega will have his eye on one of the other emeralds soon enough now that we have this one."

"So much for his plan of gathering all seven," I said.

By the time we returned to the front of the cave, the next load of soldiers had already arrived. We informed them of the situation and Blaze proudly presenting the emerald for all to see. While the soldiers cheered and celebrated, the driver pulled Blaze aside. Gardon and I followed.

"There's a call from the Thunder Mountain army, Your Highness," he said, opening the vehicle's door for her.

Blaze hopped into the seat and pushed the talk button on the console. "This is Princess Blaze," she said.

A general responded. "Your Highness, we have engaged with Dr. Nega."

"Dr. Nega?" She gave me a confused look, but all I could offer was a shrug. I was as lost as she was. Why would Nega turn his attention to their group?

"Yes, some of his troops started to attack. We're fending them off and are close to victory."

"That's good then, isn't it?" she asked.

"Not exactly," he said. "The force attacking us is too small to be a true threat. They're meant to delay us."

"Delay you for what?" Gardon asked.

"That's why I'm calling," the general said. "One of our scouts reported a few minutes ago that Dr. Nega's main fleet entered the Thunder Mountain range. They're going after the Sol Emerald there."

"The Thunder Mountain emerald? Why?" Gardon turned to me. "That's the most difficult one. Even we can't reach it."

No, we couldn't. The army heading there had planned to defend the range as best as possible against Nega. The other emeralds were much more accessible for us and Nega. But he was aware of that. He knew we would be expecting him in the other areas. True, if he wanted all seven, eventually he would have to head to the Thunder Mountains. Yet his fleet was damaged and it was far from the easiest to obtain. So why seek it out first?

Unless, he wanted to find it first, even if he lost half of his fleet in the process. He was desperate to get this emerald first and add it to his current collection. For what reason though? Then the answer popped into my head and dropped into my throat, forming a lump that choked off any air. "He's moved up his time table," I said in a hoarse whisper.

Blaze tilted her head. "What?"

"He knows he can't beat us to the other emeralds. So he's grabbing the Thunder Mountain emerald now. He's going to wake Iblis with three Sol Emeralds!"

 **A/N:** Hm, not sure where they're at.

 **Sword:** We're back! And we not only hid the ethernet cable as well, we also smashed the computer!

Uh, that really doesn't help. I'll call a repair shop. For now, thank you all for reading. We really appreciate it and please let us know what you think of it so far.


	20. Chapter 20: Nightmare Reborn

**A/N:**

 **Young Sword:** Where's the Author?

 **Sword:** He said something about a headache from all this time travel business.

 **Young Sword:** But there are people here!

 **Sword:** We'll handle it. Hello all! Silver, Blaze, and all related material belong to Sega. The story, us, and the Pens belong to the Author. Please do not use without permission. Also, thank you to Lilly The Omega Wolf and MissMJS for their recent reviews.

 **Young Sword:** Bye! Er, I mean, enjoy!

 **Chapter 20- Nightmare Reborn**

We raced down the mountainside and across the tundra in one of the vehicles as fast as possible. Hours passed before we saw the Thunder Mountain range and when we reached the army, the signature rain of the area was already coming down fast and steady. They had made camps as close as they dared with the storms and we were led into a large tent where the general and one of the foreign dignitaries waited for us.

"My scout places the ship here," the general said, pointing to a map of the ridge on a table. "But in this weather, it's impossible for us to get closer."

"What about his ground forces?" Blaze asked.

"Already dealt with," the general said. "We're picking off the last of them now."

"No further sign of Nega?"

The general shook his head. "No. Either he already found the emerald by now or he's been destroyed by the storms. Whatever the case, there's not much we can do."

"We can't march our armies in this weather," the dignitary said. "They wouldn't make it."

He was right, they wouldn't. "I'll go," I said, exiting the tent and heading into the storm, grabbing a walkie-talkie on the way.

Blaze was quick to pull me back. "Are you crazy? You barely survived last time."

"That's because I was coming off of just being shot," I said.

"And this time?" Her onceover reminded me that my wounds hadn't completely healed and the Sol Emerald blast had left me a little more weary than normal.

"We can't afford to wait," I said. "If he summons Iblis—"

"Then I'll go with you," she said. I opened my mouth to refuse and she tightened her grip on my arm. "This is not up for debate. This is a direct command from the Princess."

The others had joined us and Gardon begged her not to go. She was steadfast and waited for my answer, with bright burning eyes that clearly said wherever I went, she was going by my side. My chest and resolve swelled and I nodded.

"Follow us, no matter what," she told the others. "Once the other armies have finished, have them join us. We don't know what Nega is planning and it may take all of us to stop him." She embraced Gardon, surprising him, and lingered for a few moments as he returned it. When she broke from him, she took a walkie-talkie from another soldier and asked, "Okay?"

Gardon was on the verge of questioning her, then nodded instead. "Yes, Your Highness."

Together, we pushed up through the rain in a bubble and soared toward the mountains. Like last time, the higher I went and closer I got, the more the rain pounded on my makeshift shield. It was soon blinding and the lightning struck very close, blowing rocks off of the cliffs.

I peered into the dark, black clouds, hoping to catch sight of Nega. What I didn't expect was the large shape slicing through the rain and making a beeline toward us.

"Watch out!" Blaze yelled and we spun wildly to the side to avoid the large flagship that appeared out of the storm. Nega's ship nearly blindsided us from the heavier parts of the storm.

Judging by the damage to its hull, I was relieved we hadn't had to enter the storm ourselves. Scorch marks painted the outside, as the ship had been one gigantic lightning rod for the entire mountain range, and many of the guns on it were destroyed. A few smaller ships limped along its side, trailing smoke and fire, and the flagship itself seemed to be slower, like a large, wounded animal trying to escape.

"He couldn't have found the emerald," Blaze said, reassuring the both of us.

"We'll find out," I said, flying faster. We caught up with the ship in seconds and landed on the deck. I expected a fight, but the crew posts were abandoned, leaving behind only robotic arms and legs in a few scattered areas. The turrets surrounding this end of the deck were also blown to smithereens. Charred black husks and gaping holes that exposed wiring underneath were all that were left.

I took stock of the weapons. Did I do this? Or was part of it the storm? There was little chance to ponder that. Blaze was already sprinting ahead to a door and I went after her. We entered a dark passageway and climbed down a flight of stairs, using the light at the end to guide us.

Near the bottom of the steps, a squad of robots marched past. We froze, holding our breaths, still mostly in the dark. Thankfully, they didn't notice and moved past. We started to move again, but I suddenly jumped when Nega yelled over the intercoms in the hallway.

"Squads three and four, get down to the engine room!" he yelled. "Help those miserable rust-buckets of an engine crew get this ship going faster. And if any of them lag behind, throw them overboard. We have to get moving!"

The robots that had just left ran past us again, double-time, and were in too much of a hurry to notice us. After they rounded the corner, we scrambled across the hall and into an empty room.

"So, what are you thinking?" Blaze asked.

"I'm thinking my nerves are going to be shot by the end of this," I said, bending over with my hands on my knees. "I'm also thinking there's five decks of this ship to search. No way he would keep the emeralds on the bridge again."

"Good point," Blaze said. "We can't fight our way through. It would raise an alarm and there's too many. Split up and cover more ground?"

I hated the thought of leaving her side in this place. To be honest, I hated the thought of leaving her side in general, but especially here. However, if we wanted to find the emeralds before Nega's diabolical plan came to fruition, we would need to search fast. "Yeah," I said. "I'll start at the bottom, you start here, and we'll meet in the middle."

"Sounds good," she said and turned to the door.

"And Blaze." She glanced back at me. "Please be careful."

She smiled and planted a kiss on my lips. "You too." Then she was gone. Although her kiss stayed with me, strengthening and reviving my energy. I stole through the doorway when the coast was clear and dashed to the stairs and to the bottom floor.

* * *

It was a good thing we chose to split up. The search was slow going with all the robots around. Nega had doubled the patrols in every corridor and the windows to sneak past them were very brief. I thought about disabling a guard here or there, but all it would take is one broken robot to be found and the whole place would be on high alert. So I stuck to the shadows like a thief and darted from corner to corner, room to room, finding no sign of the emeralds.

I did stumble upon the engine room, where large gears, machines, and electronic equipment of all kinds towered above me. Any other day, the area would have been astonishing. Today, the gears were missing many teeth, the machines were coated in oil and little fires in their cracks had to be put out constantly, and the electronics fizzled nonstop, going haywire before blowing fuses and screens. The place seemed to barely be holding together with string and paperclips and there were no more of either to keep the machines running smooth. It was a cacophony of squealing engines, heavy stamping of metal, and general mayhem that hurt my ears.

The robotic engine crew ran to and fro, putting out fires and repairing the systems as best as they could. Every now and then, one would move too slow for a soldier robot's liking and would get a swift kick to their backside.

One engine crew robot in particular was caught in an explosion on a larger machine. When it sat up checking its systems, it whirred loudly at its missing legs. Then it gazed into the eyes of a taller soldier robot, who made a quick calculation in the legless robot's efficiency. The smaller robot attempted to stand and get away and beg for mercy, but found none in the soldier's red eyes. It was tossed like garbage out an open hatch. Then the soldier turned on the rest of the engine crew, as if silently warning them of a similar fate if they didn't stay on top of the situation. The engine crew picked up the pace, moving faster than before.

I rose to a tall machine that didn't move much, surveying the scene. While disabling a robot would raise a red flag, certainly a little sabotage in an already failing engine room wouldn't hurt?

I scoured the area and found one engine that kept catching fire. Large pistons pumped up and down, slamming the metal floor underneath at a rapid speed. Robots surrounded it, aware of the fire and damage and doing their best to keep it contained, but not paying attention to the control panel on its side. I flew over to a perch above the control panel and peered at the settings.

The temperature reading was well past the safety limit and the screen kept flashing a heat overload warning. Reaching carefully with my power, I pressed the appropriate keys to push the engine to run faster, and watched the temperature climb higher and higher.

Alarms started going off around the machine and the robots ran about, fleeing from it. The soldiers tried to maintain order and knock some of the engine crew back, but they dodged the blows and scurried far away from it. I dialed the settings back down, as it was already too late for them to stop the oncoming explosion.

Fire leapt out between the metal plates on the machine and I dove out of the way as the explosion rocked the ship. The smoke quickly cleared, revealing the gaping hole where the machine used to be and the clouds passing beneath us. The wind dragged parts and components out into the open sky.

The soldier robots, unprepared like the engine crew, snatched at anything to hang onto. There wasn't much and they tumbled toward the hole, squealing and whirring as they were ripped out of the ship. One managed to grab a railing, but one twist of my wrist and the railing jerked up, failing him. He joined the other soldiers who fell out the hole.

On an intercom, Nega was yelling to be updated by the engine crew. By then, I was out of there and on my way to the next floor.

"Silver," Blaze called on my walkie-talkie. "What was that?"

"Let's just say I slowed Nega's ship a little. How are things coming?"

"Not good," she said. "There's no sign of Nega or the Sol Emeralds. I expected him on the bridge, but he's nowhere to be found."

We needed to pick up the pace. "Right. I'll hurry up on the second deck and meet with you soon."

* * *

The second deck was clear, as was my half of the third by the time I ran into Blaze. "Anything?" she asked and I shook my head. She wiped her face, frustrated and her eyes closed in thought. "Okay, he must be here somewhere."

As if to confirm it, Nega ordered the workers to slow the ship to half-speed. Given it's already lumbering pace, it may as well have stopped. "And we're at wherever he's headed to," I said. "Which means we don't have much time."

"Did he maybe have a secret room on his ships? Some sort of panic room or shelter that you ever noticed?"

I shrugged. "It's possible. But the ships Gardon and I explored were so broken down and mostly buried in sand, I can't say for sure."

"Well, I know we've checked every room here inside the ship from top to bottom and he's not here."

Nega's voice droned on through the intercom, re-deploying his troops to different areas of the ship where we had been spotted. My eyes wandered to the ceiling and my jaw dropped. "He's not inside the ship," I said.

"What?" Blaze asked, but I didn't take the time to explain. I grabbed her hand, bolted down the hall to the nearest emergency hatch, and threw it open. Although the flagship was much slower, we were still high up and the wind ripped through my quills. Below, the ground was barren and brown, spotted with black ash. In front of the ship was a towering black, craggy volcano. Its center was aglow with orange flame, as if a portal to hell itself.

"The Molten Wasteland!" Blaze said. "What's he doing here?"

This was it, I realized. This is where it all happened last time. And now there was only the finishing touch left.

I lifted Blaze and myself out of the hatch and up onto the roof of the ship. Some of the gun turrets were intact. Including one where a round, fat man sat ducked down in his seat, a radio in his hand that he used to relay orders to his subordinates inside.

"Nega!" I shouted over the gusts.

He immediately turned the gun turret's barrels on us and fired. We leapt out of the way, taking cover behind a destroyed turret that he barraged with laser blasts.

Timing the shots, I rose and crafted a shield for myself and Blaze. The brunt of the laser blasts nearly tore through it on the first go, and I wobbled on my legs, reeling from the impact. Blaze saw me struggling and lobbed a fireball around the cover at Nega, hitting his arm. He yelped, flailing and patting out the flames, and fell from his seat. Beside him, a handful of colored emeralds fell from the turret and rolled around on the ground.

"The Sol Emeralds!" Blaze said. I counted three of them, the newest a silver-colored jewel. Then he had found the Sol Emerald hidden in the Thunder Mountain range.

Blaze dashed for the emeralds. Nega was quick though, and drew a pistol, firing at her. She ducked behind another turret and I growled, throwing my fading shield at him with all my force. He tumbled down to a lower deck, the emeralds falling with him.

Brilliant, I chided myself, and knelt beside Blaze. "You okay?"

She nodded and rose to her feet. "Quick, the emeralds!" She charged ahead and I followed right behind. By the time we reached the lower deck, Nega was at the far end and the flagship had neared the volcano. We were close enough to see the spurting magma from the hot center blast down the side. Smoke rose nonstop from the center, choking the air and making our eyes water. The whole volcano groaned, as if a beast was shifting from its slumber, woken by the battle above.

Or by the emeralds.

Blaze sensed it too. "What's happening?"

"This is it," I said. "This is where he woke Iblis." The sky above had become an unnatural blood red and the very air tasted like ash and decay in my throat. The volcano loomed all the larger every second that we wasted. "We need to stop him! Right now!"

Nega held the emeralds high above his head, as if sacrificing them to the volcano. "Mighty Iblis," he said, and the wind seemed to silence itself in reverence at the being that he summoned, allowing his voice to be heard strong and clear. "I call upon you with the power of the ancient emeralds of old. Rise, destroyer of kingdoms, harbinger of doom. Rise and serve me."

We stopped short as the world became still. Even the engines of the flagship were muffled, reduced to only a faint sense of trembling in my legs. The volcano bellowed smoke, pondering Nega's request as lava continued to ooze from the fissures at its lips.

"Silver," Blaze said quietly and her frightened eyes alerted me to the floor. The trembling engines were now shaking violently and I realized that it wasn't the ship. It was the whole land, the very vibrations in the air violently rocking us back and forth, and they set my heart to racing.

Then I saw it. At the tip of the volcano, a solid mass of flame and fire started to form and rise from the center. The molten lava and rock fashioned into digits and I caught a glimpse of an all too familiar shape rumbling in the center, slowly rising as it gathered itself into one being.

I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't believe that it was happening all over again. The very thing I had sought to escape had found me once again, chased me to another dimension. Despite my inner refusals that I wasn't seeing this, my heart crumbled in despair at the truth before me: we had failed.

To cement it, Nega glanced over his shoulder, his face bathed in fiery light, and laughed. "Behold, Iblis! My redeemer and your death."

 **A/N:** Okay, I'm back and I think I know a way to stop the Pens.

 **Sword:** How's that?

You'll just have to see next time. For now, thank you all for reading. We really appreciate it and please let us know what you think of it so far.


	21. Chapter 21: The Only Alternative

**A/N:** Okay, I think I know how to end all this business. With a time machine of my own to stop the time machines from being invented.

 **Sword:** Wouldn't that cause a paradox?

Hush, it'll work.

 **Pen:** Even I know it won't.

Well then how are you able to change the past if stopping my younger self from writing would cause you to never be created and therefore never stop the past me?

 **Pen:** …

Exactly. Now my brain hurts and there are people here. Hello, everyone. Silver, Blaze, and all related material belong to Sega. The story, the Swords, and the Pens belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Also, thank you to MissMJS and our mysterious guest for their recent reviews.

 **Chapter 21- The Only Alternative**

Iblis was massive, larger than the creature of my own dimension, or any beast I had ever seen. Its triangle of glowing, venemous green eyes squinted at us, regarding the flagship with all the attention and worth of a gnat. It lumbered for the tip of the volcano, pulling itself up and over in a rushing river of lava.

"Yes!" Nega said. "Come and destroy these interlopers! Then, we shall conquer the world."

Iblis pooled at the base of the mountain and stretched itself into the coiled serpent I remembered. The rock and fire shifted and formed into a sharpened, reptile face, with a fiery flickering tongue.

"Silver!" Blaze shouted somewhere to my side. "Silver, we have to get out of here!"

Fear glued my feet in place and I was too terrified to move a muscle. The serpent rose and lifted its head high above us. The power radiating from this monstrosity was unlike any I had felt before. Was this the power of the Sol Emeralds at work?

The emeralds. They were still floating in the air above Nega, granting their power to Iblis. Blaze tugged on my arm. "We have to get out of here and regroup."

One harsh jerk ripped me out of my stupor and I stumbled into her. "What about the emeralds?" I asked, straightening.

"We can't make it to them in time and escape."

"We can't escape period," I said. "Only one of Nega's ships could do that." The flagship was out of the question. It shuddered in the wake of Iblis' movements, as if about to crash at its feet in respect and beg for mercy. The smaller planes flying as guards around the flagship were our best bet. A particular one was flying better than most and I pointed it out to Blaze. "That one will work," I said. "But we'll need a distraction."

Looking around, I didn't see much to divert Iblis' attention from us. Blaze caught something though and nodded, pushing me toward the opposite side of the ship where the plane hovered. "Right. Go grab the plane. I'll take care of the distraction."

"What are you—?"

"Go, Princess's orders," she said and ran off toward Nega.

I wasn't thrilled, but I obeyed anyway, racing back the way we had come. At the end, I leaped off the deck, shooting straight for the small plane. The pilot noticed me too late and tried to turn to fire on me. I threw him out of the seat with a telekinetic blast and hopped in myself.

Dozens upon dozens of gauges and buttons stared back at me from the control console. I had no clue what any of them did. There was a control stick between my legs though and that turned the plane. It was all I needed and I looked over the edge of the cockpit, scanning the ship for Blaze.

By then, Iblis had reached his full, snake-like height and was staring off into the horizon. It hadn't even noticed me and was much too wrapped up in the lands beyond this one. I could see the eagerness in its evil eyes, the desire for destruction on a global scale. The haunting visions of the past ten years under this creature's reign of terror played out before me, the landscape world-wide becoming as barren as these ashy lands.

Far below Iblis, Nega shouted impotently from the deck, beating his chest and flailing his fists in the air, calling for Iblis's attention. He still thought he could control this monster. That the extra power from the emeralds this time hadn't put Iblis so far beyond in terms of power that Nega never had a chance. He foolishly wanted Iblis to focus on him.

Meanwhile, Blaze skulked from the shadows of the destroyed gun turrets. During one point in Nega's tirade, she leapt up, jumped between Nega and Iblis, and snatched all three emeralds out of the air. That caught both their attention and for a few moments, they seemed so surprised by her brazen act, that she escaped unscathed. I pumped a fist for her and dove down in the plane, planning to intercept her on the deck.

Nega recovered first, stomping his foot and ordering Iblis. "What are you waiting for? Get my emeralds back!"

The fiery serpent bellowed a deep roar, that same demonic tone that drove me into a panicked sweat. I pushed any buttons that looked like they would make the plane go faster and angled sharply to the side, gauges flashing and beeping warnings that I was coming in too hard.

Iblis raised its long tail, swinging down at the middle of the flagship. The tail tore through the metal, shearing it in half and cauterizing the ends immediately. Both Nega and Blaze ran to opposite pointed ends of the flagship, now pointed upwards as the ship fell.

I zipped in alongside Blaze, who had the emeralds gathered in her arms. Holding the control stick steady, I lifted her up and into the seat behind me and she collapsed, the emeralds falling into her lap.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, now get us out of this dive!"

I yanked the control stick hard to the other side and up. The plane groaned and the engine hissed, steam whistling out from the hood. But with some help of my power, I forced it back into the proper position.

Down below, Nega clung tightly to his end of the ship. His face was horrified, unable to comprehend what we had tried to warn him about and his jaw hung open, emotions from anger to absolute terror mixing around on his face. He scrambled for a hatch to his ship, tumbling and falling all over the deck. Before he could reach it, his half of the flagship disappeared amongst the smoke circling the volcano's base, followed by a spectacular crash and cloud of explosive fire.

"You think he survived?" I asked, peering into the smoke. There was too much ash and rolling clouds to be sure.

"I don't know," Blaze said. "But we have bigger problems to worry about."

Ahead, Iblis had turned his attention to our plane. It lifted its tail and mightily swatted at us like a bug. I took another dive, swooping under the tail and escaping with inches to spare.

Iblis didn't give up. It slithered on the ground and curled its body around us, cutting off any escape route. I jerked the plane into a sharp turn, circling its massive body as it watched us, toying with us, its forked tongue dripping hot magma.

I crafted a spear and hurled it at Iblis's face. It simply disappeared into the face, not even leaving a scratch behind. I cast more and more, building up each bit of energy more than the last with no results. There was no way to touch Iblis! In fact, I thought I saw the trace of a playful smile in its fiery face, enjoying my pathetic attempts to hurt it. All the while, its body coiled tighter and it was becoming harder to bank the plane on the along the steaming magma.

"Hold it steady!" Blaze said, standing in the backseat and grabbing the wings for support.

"What are you doing?" Then I saw the Sol Emeralds in her hands and that ferocious gleam in her eyes. Her body tensed, crouching down, and it hit me. "No, don't!"

Blaze closed her eyes and leapt off the plane, spreading the emeralds out before her. Almost immediately, she was surrounded in a pure white glow and suspended in air hundreds of feet off the ground. Slowly, the pulsing Sol Emeralds spun around her waist, bathing her in their combined power. They lifted her up high, rising to the heavens like an angel.

Iblis took notice and lost interest in the plane. Its body grew slack as it growled in its throat, sensing the energy that radiated from her. I flew the plane higher, hanging back, but close enough to come in if something happened.

Blaze's eyes snapped open, flashing with the same translucent energy that surrounded her body. I wondered if this was any similar to what had happened to me on Nega's flagship. If anything, Blaze's training had equipped her to handle it far better than I did.

But as I circled around the stare-down, I could spot a pained look of concentration on Blaze's face. She was struggling to contain the Sol Emeralds' power and direct it to her will. Iblis seemed to catch on and flicked its tongue, spraying the air with fireballs. Then it opened its mouth wide and came for Blaze.

Blaze spread her hands out in front of her and yelled, unleashing a large burst of energy straight down Iblis' gullet. She had managed a direct hit! And it sent Iblis reeling and writhing on the ground. I cheered, figuring she had it in the bag.

I should have known better. The creature zig-zagged away from the blast and back to its height, the hole in its jaw quickly reforming with rock and lava. It shook off the attack and came at her again. Again, Blaze fired a beam of the power, but Iblis was careful this time. It dodged the attack, slithering low and coming up from behind to chomp into her.

Its jaws crunched closed, but Blaze sped out of the way in time. She blasted it with another attack, cutting into the center of Iblis and driving the great beam through its body, effectively splitting it in two. The very power shook the ground as much as Iblis's rebirth and the air crackled with power and static.

Slowly, the beam sliced through Iblis' head and carved a deep gorge into the ground before it withered and faded away. As soon as it was gone, so was the glow surrounding Blaze, who started to fall through the air with the emeralds.

I swooped in close and caught her and the emeralds in a telekinetic hold once more, dropping them safely in the seat. Then I turned us back the way we came, toward the Thunder Mountain ridge.

Behind us, Iblis raged and reformed itself, its demonic screeching threatening the world that it would show no mercy for this insult.

Blaze lifted her head weakly, heaving and sweat pouring down her face. Her eyes rolled back, on the verge of passing out, and she asked, "It's still alive?"

"Yeah," I said and she groaned. I didn't talk as we flew, for she slipped in and out of unconsciousness for a few seconds at a time. The combined power of the three emeralds had taken their toll, as she seemed pale and was ice cold to the touch. Blood trickled out of her nose and her breathing seemed ragged.

"Hey," I said and she barely acknowledged me. I ripped off part of my sleeve and held it to her nose. "Stay with me. Blaze, hang on and stay awake."

I kept looking behind us at the monster pulling itself together, readying its assault on the world. What hope did we have now?

* * *

An hour later, the radio of the plane crackled. "Silver? Is that you?"

I picked up the receiver. "Gardon?" I asked. "Where are you?"

"Below," he said.

I glanced over the edge. We were still a good distance from the Thunder Mountains, but in the upcoming fields below, the army sent after the Thunder Mountain emerald was camped, waiting for our arrival. In fact, they seemed to have been joined by the other forces as well, who had double-timed it here after locating their own assigned emeralds.

I landed the plane as gently as I could and everyone swarmed us. They peered inside, prodding me with questions about Blaze.

"What happened to the Princess?"

"Did Iblis do this?"

"Medic! We need a medic over here!"

Physicians rushed over and hurried Blaze off on a gurney. I followed right behind, emeralds tucked in my coat, and ignoring the people crowding around me. Gardon wiggled through several bodies and helped me break past the mob and into the physician's tent.

Inside, Blaze was lifted onto an empty bed and the physicians and their nurses fussed over her, checking her responsiveness and asking for some blood packs. I sat down across from them, watching them work and unable to think straight.

"Silver," Gardon said, easing down to my level. "What happened out there?"

"Nega succeeded." I looked him in the eye. "Iblis is awake."

The silence was deafening. Even the physicians paused in their work and gawked at me, medical tools shaking violently in their hands, betraying the absolute terror. It wasn't until I gave them an angry glare that they remembered their patient and continued their treatment.

"Then Nega and Iblis are on their way here?"

"Iblis likely is," I said, his roar still echoing in my ears. "Nega, I don't know what happened to him."

"But we can stop Iblis," Gardon said. "We have the emeralds."

I threw up my hands. "Nega used three emeralds to wake this thing. This is far stronger than I've ever seen it."

"Not strong enough for all seven emeralds." There was a gleam in his eye and he pulled me closer. "Before she left, the Princess had me round up all the armies and the emeralds they found. Even wanted the Sol Emerald from the capital brought here."

"What? Why?"

"I think as a precaution. She intends to channel their power," he said. "Use them to destroy Iblis."

"What?!" I jumped out of my seat and ran my hands through my quills. "She can't! She already did that with three emeralds and this is where it got her." I pointed at her sickly body in bed. By now, the physicians had stabilized her and she was resting fitfully, lingering pain etched into her features. "All seven will kill her!"

"She is well aware of that," Gardon said grimly, checking her. "And she would rather sacrifice herself if it saves everyone else."

"We can't let her!" He shushed me and nodded at her bed. I lowered my voice. "It's suicide."

"Look, when she first attempted one emerald, she was much the same as she is now. She collapsed and couldn't manage for a week. How many did she take on? Three you said?"

"Yeah, she did a lot better this time. Better than me. You should've seen her, flying around, fighting this thing." I moved to her bedside, gazing down into her face. "She was amazing."

"Exactly. If anyone has any chance of surviving, it's her." His tone wasn't convincing in the slightest and he was already looking toward Blaze as one would a body in a casket.

I started to argue, but a soft voice cut me off. "It's the only logical choice and you know it." Blaze groaned, rolling to the side and trying to sit up. Gardon and I both lowered her back into bed.

"You need to rest, Your Highness," he said.

"With you two making a racket? Not likely," she said, with a strained smirk. The physicians had hooked an IV of blood to her arm and her body trembled, still freezing. The blood had long dried in her nostrils and her eyes drooped as if she were about to pass out at any moment.

"You need to save your strength," Gardon said, tucking the blanket up higher under her chin.

"Did you do as I asked? Did you bring them?"

He folded his hands. "Your Highness, please—"

"Gardon," she said more forcefully, "did you bring them?"

He sighed and nodded. "Yes, they are here. One moment." He left the tent and returned shortly with a bag of the collected Sol Emeralds. Along with the three on me, that made all seven together. The emeralds seemed to sense they were all gathered into one place and shined brighter than ever before, a rainbow of light leaping out of the bag and onto Blaze's face.

"Good," she said. "See that Silver adds the ones from Nega's ship to those. Then we'll…we'll…" Her head slid down the pillow and I feared the worst.

"Medic!" I cried at the top of my lungs, propping her up. "Medic!"

The group of physicians from before rushed back in and chased us out. We waited several tense minutes before one exited and informed us of her condition. "Her Majesty needs rest. She's unable to handle any stress or visitors at this moment."

Once the physician left, I threw my hand at the tent. "See? You see? She can't handle anymore. And you're letting her go out there?"

"I don't want her to go!" he growled, drawing a few eyes from people outside. He leaned in, his voice dropping. "I want her here. But you know the Princess and her determination. Do you think she'll back down?"

I rubbed my face. "Isn't there a law or something that puts another person in charge while she's incapacitated?"

"Yes, that would be one of her advisors," he said. "Would you like to run back and tell one of them they're in charge? You may make it there before Iblis levels the spot."

I clenched my fists and scowled. "You have to do something! Your Princess is about to die!"

"What would you have me do?" he asked. "From what you've told us, Iblis is unbeatable and the only thing that has been able to slow it down are the Sol Emeralds. So tell me, what would you do? Because I'm open to all suggestions."

I had no idea. I was as lost as he was. And I slowly saw my fear for Blaze matched in his eyes. There was no alternative. The only way out of this was losing someone we deeply cared for.

Gardon cleared his throat and opened the sack with the Sol Emeralds. "Please hand over the Sol Emeralds you recovered. We're going to need them."

Absent-mindedly, I reached into my coat and pulled out the gems, glowing bright in their luster and excitement to finally be reunited with their brethren. In the far distance, a low rumbling roar resounded through the hills, terrifying the armies, and several screams broke out around us.

I deposited two of the emeralds into the sack, but stopped at the purple Sol Emerald. The first one Blaze and I had found together. I turned it in my hands, studying it in wonder. It sparkled and dazzled, so full of energy. So much beauty unmatched by the others. More precious than most jewels and a standout from its competitors.

My fist closed on the emerald and I looked up. "There's something I need to do first." I rushed into the tent, Gardon trailing behind with the bag of emeralds. One of the nurses was by Blaze's bedside, tending to her. The nurse protested when we entered, but I ignored her and kneeled at Blaze's side.

Blaze blinked in surprise and muttered a soft, "Hey."

"Hey," I said and stared into her eyes. Gardon was trying and failing to calm the nurse while I took Blaze's hands, running my fingers across hers. Those delicate hands I would never be able to hold again, the warmth in her palms from the fire inside her I would never feel on a cold night anymore. "I love you."

Instantly, Gardon and the nurse stopped fighting. The nurse's jaw dropped and Gardon's face twisted in pain for the both of us.

Blaze nodded and said, "I love you too."

I broke out into a goofy grin as fat tears pricked my eyes. I couldn't help myself and they rolled down my cheeks. Blaze cried as well, staining her pillow quietly. I took a shuddering breath and swallowed a hiccup. "We could've had an amazing life together, couldn't we?"

"Yes," she said. "There's nothing I wanted more."

"Me either. I would give anything to have that with you." My grip tightened on her hand and fear welled in my stomach. Blaze sensed the tension in my body and raised her head off the pillow as far as she could.

I had to do this before I lost my nerve. Gulping down all my fear, I pressed my lips to hers, holding her close. There was no need to hold her though. She didn't try to escape and grabbed my clothes, kissing back and melding her lips into mine. We both seemed to know what came next. The only other choice to make to save everyone and it scared us, overwhelmed us, drove us. The passion and love in the kiss was indescribable, but in that moment, I knew we were truly meant for one another. Never had I felt so hopelessly in love and I knew I never could with anyone else. Only with Blaze.

Far too soon for me, the kiss broke as Blaze gasped for air. I grinned apologetically and she shook her head. "It's fine."

I pulled her to me again, whispering in her ear so only she could hear. "Live that life for both of us."

In one sweeping motion, I leapt across the room, tearing the bag from Gardon's shocked hands, and ran out of the tent. "Silver!" Blaze called and Gardon chased after me, likely aware of what I had planned.

I had to leave quickly. There was no time to lose and flying under my power would be too slow. Had to conserve my energy. So I made a mad dash through camp, half-flying, half-running for the plane we came in. Gardon ordered me to stop and several of the soldiers tried to tackle me. I blocked them with wall-high shields, clearing an easy path to the plane.

Tossing the emeralds into the seat, I jumped in, cranked up the plane, and turned it toward an open stretch of ground. Within moments, I was in the air, heading back to the volcanoes and the large, titanic shape in the distance.

"Silver!" the radio crackled. "Silver, get back here!"

I picked up the receiver. "No can do, Gardon. This is the only way to save her and everyone else. I can channel the Sol Emeralds' power. You all saw it."

"For one! You don't know if it will work with all seven."

"Maybe, maybe not. Can you really say the same for Blaze?" Silence. "Look, this kingdom can't survive with their leader. People like her only come around once in a lifetime. They can survive without me. I'm not even supposed to be in this world."

"Don't say that. Do you know how much you mean to the Princess?"

Pausing, I licked my lips. "Yes. She means just as much to me. That's why I'm doing this."

Gardon didn't answer for a minute. Finally, he said, "We'll round up the armies to support you. Maybe we can help take this thing down. We'll catch up as soon as we can."

I doubted they would be able to rally the forces to Iblis in time. Strangely, that comforted me. I suppose because I wouldn't have to watch flames engulf Gardon or anyone else. "Thanks," I said.

"And Silver? It was good working with you."

I smiled. "Good working with you too. Take care and watch over Her Majesty."

"Always."

With that, I gunned the engines, flying fast and hard for Iblis. No way it would destroy this world. Not on my watch.

 **A/N:** And done.

 **Pen:** Wait, if you stop me from creating a time machine, that would be a paradox since you would have no reason to invent this time machine.

…*tosses time machine aside* Oh, forget it.

 **Pen:** How anticlimactic. I hope you have a better ending prepared for this story.

 **Sword:** You'll just have to see! Thank you all for reading, lovely peoples! Please, please, please let us know what you think of the story so far! Love ya and see ya next time!


	22. Chapter 22: Sacrifice

**A/N:** Let's not waste any more time—

 **Pen:** That would be a first.

—and get right into it. Silver, Blaze, and all related material belong to Sega. The story, the Swords, and the Pens belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Also, thank you to MissMJS, Midna Azusa, KnightOfTheWind, and WaywardWind27 for their recent reviews. What have you got there, Sword?

 **Sword:** A time machine I bought off some shady guy in an alley. It's got lots of buttons. Like this one.

No, don't press that!

 **Chapter 22- Sacrifice**

The dry wind and suffocating heat was unbearable. I wiped my brow and looked ahead. The dark shape of Iblis was growing larger by the minute, swallowing the landscape in all its mass. I hadn't fully appreciated its size until now. In my world, it had been a mammoth of a monster, but now? I didn't know any word to describe its size.

Or my fear.

This was the first time I faced Iblis alone. I had always had Gardon or Blaze by my side, or Nega directing me in my ear. In this instant, it was only me and this creature and I was tempted to turn the plane around. After all, I had no special training using the Sol Emeralds. What if the first time was a fluke? And I had witnessed the devastation of Iblis' reign first-hand. I lost count of the numerous people and cities it had crushed under its heel and here I was in a plane, a pitiful machine compared to it.

Yet I couldn't turn tail and run. Not when I remembered all of those behind me. However low my chances of success, however hopeless it seemed, I couldn't back down. Especially since Iblis had finally noticed my return. It fixed one large eye on me, daring me to try and stop it. It fixated on me and I saw all the damage it threatened to do in the future in its eye.

I allowed myself one last thought of Blaze, her arms around me, her touch along my spine, the sensation of her kiss that tingled my lips. Her presence seemed to shroud my body in pleasant comfort as if she was right behind the seat, encouraging me onwards. I wasn't alone with her by my side.

In my head, I could hear Gardon advising me how he used to. _Wait for an opening. Let him strike first._ Iblis coiled and tensed its body, waiting for me to enter its range.

 _When you see a weak point, attack it with all you have,_ Nega's voice cut in.

My ears flickered for Blaze's whisper. _You got this_ , she said. _I believe in you._

That was all the motivation I needed. Digging into the seat, I scooped up the emeralds and set them in my lap. Iblis snarled, flames jetting from its mouth, and I put my hands on the emeralds, concentrating hard on them. _Lend me your power_ , I begged. _One last time. Please._

The emeralds flashed brighter and Iblis sensed what was happening. It roared and snaked toward me, opening its mouth wide.

I leapt out of the plane with the bag, keeping one hand on the emeralds. Iblis devoured the plane whole. Pieces stuck out of its gullet before melting and dissolving into the river of lava that was its skin. I flew fast, keeping one hand on the emeralds.

 _Please work._ I looked back and Iblis snorted with a satisfied smile. It knew it had me. I focused harder while Iblis zig-zagged for me.

Suddenly, the bag disappeared in blisteringly white light, like a supernova went off in my hand. I was blind for several seconds, unable to even see my glove in front of my face. The light slowly receded and when it did, I wasn't glowing teal, but a pale yellow. Power radiated from my arm, surrounding it in its unnatural hue and crackling like an electrical storm. I checked and the same was true for the rest of me. It worked! It actually worked!

The emeralds had lost their luster in the bag and were completely dark and colorless, drained of all energy. It had all been transferred to Iblis and me. That was fine by me and I threw the emeralds out of harm's way.

Iblis tilted its head, its eyes narrowing in confusion and concern. It was wary from its last fight and slowly circled around, assessing the situation and wondering if I could cut it in half just as cleanly.

Although I'm sure I could, the full power within my body was building and becoming more difficult to control with every passing moment. I had no idea how Blaze had controlled the energy of three emeralds. The power was again tearing at the fabric of my body, faster than before, and it was all I could do to hold on and not let it rip me into shreds.

Through clenched teeth, I taunted Iblis, hoping to make it attack first. "Come on!" I egged it on. "Come at me!" My voice was very strained and I feared the next yell would be one of horrendous pain as the energy bolted up my spine and along my ribs, punching my chest for a way out. How had I let it loose last time? I could barely remember, the pain was so great.

Iblis growled raspily and flicked its tongue, coming to a decision. It curled in closer and swung its tail. I dodged toward its chomping teeth and relied on instinct, letting the Sol Emeralds' energy out in full.

A devastating blast pulsed out and knocked Iblis back dozens of yards. It tore off bits of its fiery skin and rocks here and there, and shattered a couple of teeth. That gave me a couple of seconds to breathe. I had to figure out how to control this power and direct it straight at Iblis, annihilate it completely.

The monster quickly re-formed these parts and approached more confidently. It realized I didn't have the same mastery of this power as Blaze did. It didn't help that the pressure was building again in my body, an agonizing geyser threatening to implode inside if I didn't let it out soon.

There was no way I could learn Blaze's accuracy in so short of a time. The most I could do was wildly explode power and hope for the best. But that wouldn't beat Iblis.

Or would it?

A thought popped into my mind as Iblis roared and asserted its oncoming dominance of the land. A sliver of a chance. It was only the idea I had though. Pouring as much power as I could into my speed, I rushed Iblis in mid-roar. Its jaw hinged wide, thinking it had an easy victory and that I was giving up.

Once I was behind its molten lips, its mouth snapped shut. The inside of Iblis was just as dangerous as its outside. Lava simmered on its inner jowls and dripped from its palette. Even the tongue burned bright and intense. My skin boiled and I kept checking myself, afraid that lava had fallen on me.

A heavy rumble shook Iblis' throat and its tongue leapt up, herding me toward the back of its mouth. I obliged and raced down its throat, dodging the fiery pits. The tunnel narrowed into what I assumed what its neck and I stopped. This should be close enough.

The emeralds' power had grown back to full-strength by that point and I was dying to let it loose. I did my best to release it again and it flared at the tips of my limbs. A moment later, the air exploded around me and I was swallowed in white light again.

Once I could see, I found I was no longer in Iblis' body. In fact, Iblis' body was gone, scattered around in magma puddles and splashes of lava raining from the sky. The head, or what was left of it, tumbled to a stop along the ground, with a severe chunk torn away from its eyes and mouth. I had done it. It was over.

The lava rain harmlessly dissolved into my glowing hue with a soft hiss. I scanned the battlefield, searching for any moving pieces. The puddles bubbled and boiled, smoke steaming off of them. The rocks burned a hot red and faded to a pitch black in the open air.

On the horizon, I spotted some more movement and shielded my eyes. Planes. Several planes, in fact. And on the ground were vehicles and soldiers matching. All heading this way. Blaze had marshalled the army quicker than I thought. Thankfully, not too quickly. I breathed easy and looked at my hands, finally having a chance to admire the shimmering yellow. I was getting a little better at controlling this power, but it sure drained me and I was ready for a long nap.

Now how did I stop the power?

However, rocks rolled on the ground behind me, derailing my train of thought. The lava puddles rose out of their scorched pits and made a beeline for the very much alive Iblis head, its green eye triad blinking. The creature snarled and growled as its body came together, building and growing higher. The lava splashed against it, like waves on a cliff, and absorbed into its body, granting it more strength.

By that point, the planes had arrived and were dangerously within reach of Iblis. The other ground vehicles were fast approaching too. I flew higher, wildly waving them off from the fight, but it was too late. Iblis had spotted them and took out its fury on them.

Quick as a flash, Iblis snatched two of the planes out of the air, tearing through them with its teeth. Only scraps of the wings fell from its jaw, swiftly disappearing amongst the molten rock.

That warned off the other planes and they kept a wide berth. The ground vehicles pulled up short, making a defensive semi-circle between the army and the creature. And still Iblis grew.

This battle couldn't keep up. The two attacks had already sapped me more than I ever imagined and almost ripped me apart. I had thrown my all into both blasts as well and a third like before wouldn't do any good. It would only scatter Iblis again and it would re-form. And the army was no match for this beast.

Think. What could stop it?

Down below, I spotted a smidge of purple at the head of the army. Blaze? I squinted my eyes. Yes, it was her and she was looking up at me with many others, pointing. I should've known she would take the lead and my heart soared at the sight of her.

Iblis roared, drawing everyone's attention back to it. I couldn't get distracted. What could beat Iblis? Think, Silver, think. It was difficult with the power nearing full capacity in my body again. I had to get the heart of this monster.

The fiery body continued to re-shape itself. But curiously, not its head. The head was still open and exposed to the elements, as if taking longer to heal. Was that the weak spot? Somewhere in its head?

My breathing quickened and I looked down once more. Blaze was ordering her people around, setting a defensive perimeter that would soon be smashed through. I couldn't let that happen. Whatever the cost, I had to put an end to Iblis.

I flew forward, targeting the open hole in its head. Iblis sensed my movement and swiveled around to face me. The fiery rocks crept up its neck, focusing their attention now on its head. They were far too slow and I zipped inside its skull as the hole closed behind me.

The inside of its head was much as I expected. More scalding hot walls and sizzling boulders. Yet in the center was a green light, the same color as its eyes. The light wasn't tethered to anything specific. It simply hung in the air, pulsing at the same rhythm as the hue outlined around me.

The rest of the inside was empty. Only the light flashing and contracting back on itself, like one of my burst attacks being played on a loop. Was this…whatever it was, Iblis' brain? Or what made Iblis itself? Was it the power it absorbed from the emeralds to bring it to life?

I approached the light, mindful of its border, and softly lobbed a yellow ball of light in. Iblis' light consumed it and glowed brighter for a second, then returned to normal as if nothing had happened. So the thing could be manipulated. What would happen if I stopped it?

A stronger shot had the same effect, lasting little longer than my first. A few more produced similar results. I had the notion to manipulate it myself, see if I could control the light. When I reached my hand in, I immediately pulled back, yelling and hissing. My hand felt like I had jammed it into the lava. Part of the glove was eaten away and blisters sizzled on my hand.

The pulsing light hadn't burned me. Not exactly. It was a combined experience of scalding, searing fire and a deathly cold freeze, combined in some strange force. Suffice to say, I would die if I entered the light.

The head rumbled and outside, I heard muffled noises of battle. Iblis must almost be fully re-formed. I had to act fast.

Summoning what energy I could, I hurled blast after blast at the light. None of them worked. Iblis' center gorged itself on the blasts, radiating stronger and more powerful with each successive blow. Eventually, I tired out and watched the pulse die down once more.

It was hopeless. The battle continued outside and Iblis' bellowing growl drowned out the faint noises. I didn't need to see to know that is was about to attack. The army didn't stand a chance and I was out of time.

The blasts so far hadn't damaged it much beyond repair. Did the attack need to be stronger? That was only thing left I could think of. Yet I had reached the limit already. Did it need to go beyond that? Become lethal to both combatants?

I let the energy build inside me to its breaking point. My muscles tore at themselves once more in agony. However, I pushed myself beyond that. The tearing continued until cuts started to open on my arms. Small lacerations here and there that stung in the hot air. Bones shifted and cracked and my insides swelled, fit to burst.

Diving into the middle of the light, I concentrated on releasing the blast. The pulsing light excitedly sped up, soaking in my energy and eating away at my body. Overwhelming pain like I had never experienced set all my nerves screaming. I could hardly focus on what I needed to do. It was all too much to take. My vision dimmed and I slumped, giving in to being dissolved, watching my clothes tear off bit by bit, and my fur following.

This was it. This was how the world ended again.

In the lava below, bubbles popped and sputtered all around. A set of them in particular blew up and threw lava into the air, spraying a mist of fire. Fire. Fire like Blaze's power. Suddenly, she was in front of me, wielding that fire, inches away from me, her form shimmering and fuzzy in the heat of the magma fumes.

"Blaze."

She reached into Iblis' light, unhurt by it, and lifted my chin. A small smile curved up her cheek and she mouthed something to me. "What?" She repeated it and I couldn't hear anything. Her lips moved over and over in the same pattern, repeating a simple sentence. What did it say? I leaned in to make it out.

Her mouth becomes fuller and solid and for a moment, the words were crystal clear. "I believe in you."

The fumes swirled around her and she vanished into them. Her words stuck with me and I gritted my teeth. "I thought I needed power to beat you, monster. But power isn't everything," I said, straightening my back. "I have something better. Not that you could ever understand that. So, you want power? You want the Sol Emeralds' energy?" The light beat faster. This wasn't a brain. It was a panting tongue, eager to lap up anything. And that was all there was to Iblis. A mindless beast intent on slaking its own desires.

Oh, but this beast knew. It sensed something was wrong, even if its center wasn't aware of my plan. The head thundered around me, rocks and lava collapsing. Iblis was afraid, trying to bury me alive. Good.

"Then take it," I said, the energy crackling at my fingertips. A great pressure tore through my chest, spreading throughout my arms and into my throat. "Take it all!"

That final barrier shattered. A beam surged upward into the core of Iblis and it burst apart, showering the head in a firework display of white-yellow streams. Then a second blast hit, this one larger than the last, and I couldn't see anything. Only white, then utter and absolute darkness. Darkness and a falling sensation, plummeting into an abyss with no end.

Then I stopped suddenly. Something had caught me. Another body. We both smacked into some boulders and hard surfaces and rolled to a stop. When I dared to open my eyes, the world was blurry and wouldn't sit still.

High above, rocks rained from the sky. A meteor shower of so many burning reds and yellows and some cold, black lumps. I soon realized the meteors were Iblis. Its body was broken apart, smashed to pieces that impacted the ground for miles around us and made no attempt to re-group. Up above, a silver, luminescent cloud curled like a beacon in the sky.

The center of the blast.

A face pressed into mine. It took a moment for the purple fur and golden orbs to become clear. "Hey," I said, hissing and holding my side. It hurt to talk and my throat tasted of ash and debris.

Blaze shushed me. "Don't move, don't speak. Just…" she looked me over and I could tell how bad it was from her expression. I lifted my hand from my side, noting my blood-soaked fingers. I risked raising my head and saw more red and black burn marks all over my body. Even my face felt numb. Probably burned part of it off. And I couldn't sense my other arm. If I even still had it.

All the injuries had trouble processing at once. My anxiety rose and I feared I was going into shock. Blaze reached out and gingerly touched my cheek. "You'll be fine," she said, tears pricking her eyes. "Okay? It's not that bad." She believed it as much as I did. "Stay here and I'll get some help."

"Blaze," I took her hand and held it in mine. "Please stay?"

She wiped her nose, the tears tracing her cheeks, and she settled in beside me. Her fingers trailed through my fur and she examined the blisters in my palms. "What were you thinking?"

My ribs jammed into my lungs and it hurt to talk in anything aside from short sentences. "Figured I could channel enough power. Enough to kill him. Save you the fate."

"You're so naïve." She hiccupped and she stroked my ear. It was soft and she touched the right spot that relaxed and soothed my body.

"I couldn't lose you." I raised a limp hand to her knee. "At least this way, _you'll_ be alive."

"Don't talk like that," she said, grabbing my hand with both of hers and leaning close. "We'll have you fixed up in no time."

"Now who's being naïve?" We both chuckled, sniffing and holding back our sobs. For a brief moment, we relived last night. That one amazing night and all the time since I had arrived that I would never forget. "Promise me something. Promise you'll live a great life. Promise," I inhaled sharply as a stabbing jolt shot through my chest, "you'll find—"

"Don't," she said, uncurling my hand and laying it against her soft cheek. She massaged mine with her warm hand. "Don't ask me to find someone else unless you would be willing to do the same if this was reversed." She had me there and my protest died in my throat.

"I couldn't," I admitted. "They wouldn't be you."

"That's exactly why I can't either." She smiled and her face fell into mine. We shared a tender kiss until my breathing grew worse. My head swam and my vision dimmed. Her eyes widened in fear, realizing that this was it.

"Wait, hang on!" she begged.

"Blaze." I managed to twitch my fingers just a little on her face, rubbing it as best as I could manage. "I love you."

The world faded to black and I lulled into that eternal slumber of death, free from the smoldering world around me, free of the nightmares, and knowing this world would be free of the same nightmares too. I was peacefully sent on my way with the most pleasant of good-byes.

"I love you, too."

 **A/N:**

 **Sword:** *puts down the time machine and cries in a fetal position*

Hey, it'll be, uh…

 **Pen:** *holds up a hand* I'll take care of her. *picks her up and takes her away*

Wow. Didn't expect it to hit her that hard. Uh, this one was pretty hard to write, especially near the end. There will be one more chapter, but until then, we thank you for sticking with us for so long. Please let us know what you think of the story, as we always love hearing from you. I'll just be going and, um, yeah.


	23. Chapter 23: New Recruit

**A/N:** Hey, where's Sword?

 **Pen:** She still hasn't forgiven you. Frankly, neither have I.

Because you were choked up?

 **Pen:** No! Because I'm having to baby her. She won't stop crying and drawing depressing stick figures of Silver and Blaze.

Hm, figured as much. I'll tend to her once we're done here. Silver, Blaze, and all related material belong to Sega. The story, the Swords, and the Pens belong to me. Please do not use without permission. Also, thank you to MissMJS, KnightOfTheWind, and the anonymous guest for their recent reviews.

 **Chapter 23- New Recruit**

The morning sun refused to give me another minute's sleep. I rolled away from the burning red behind my eyelids, but my "bed" jumped as we hit a pothole in the road. So much for my short nap. I stretched and peered up at the cart driver, who turned from the reigns. "Perfect timing," the old man said, stroking his wispy beard. "We're here."

I forgot where "here" was until I yawned and sat up. Then I stopped mid-yawn, my jaw gaping wide open at the city before me. The driver enjoyed my shock and awe, chuckling softly. "Welcome to the capital."

It was larger than I had ever imagined. The outer walls loomed tall into the sky, a pure cloudy white from the sun's reflection. Alert soldiers manned the large gate, thrown open and welcoming us and weary travelers into the city proper. I scrambled over the seat to get a better look, for the inside was even more impressive.

Shops of all kinds lined the streets and people bustled about, a thriving economy engulfing our vegetable cart. I had never seen so many people, so many buildings in one place. It was dizzying to look at and I had to settle down, dropping my gaze to my shoes now and then.

"Hard to believe this place was almost demolished a year ago," the driver said, reigning in the horses to a slow trot. A path of people broke in front of him, shuffling around the cart. "They really built it up well. And I hear tell the Princess plans to expand. But there's all kinds of gossip. Maybe you can ask me for her, eh?" He nudged me playfully and then noted my blank expression. "Sonny? You okay?"

"Yeah, I just," I swallowed, "I didn't expect all of this."

"Oh, I'm sure it's not much different from your Astapor," he said. "Been there a time or two and I've seen a lot of strange folk there."

I almost slipped and denied being a native from Astapor, then remembered my cover story. "Sure, but," I took in the numerous winding streets and all the items for sale, the city crammed together like an architect had gathered every village in the country and stuffed them into one area, "this is much grander than Astapor."

He nodded and his chest swelled with a certain sense of pride. "It is, isn't it?"

We maneuvered through the street and the crowd lightened the further we got from the entrance gate. When we reached a central square, the driver parked the cart beside a large fountain. "This is as far as I can take you. Got to get these to market before they spoil." He patted the bushels of vegetables that had been my bed on our journey into town.

"That's okay." I grabbed my pack and shouldered it. "You've been more than helpful. Thank you."

"My pleasure," he said. "Good luck with your recruiting. You'll find the castle way over yonder." He raised a long, crooked finger at the castle towers in the distance. Even from this far away, they were a sight to behold, raised high as heavenly beacons against the skyline. "Just follow this here road and it'll take you straight to the gates. Can't miss it."

"Thank you," I said again. "And good luck with your crops."

He whipped his horses into gear and the cart rumbled down the road. Once it disappeared, I took in my surroundings.

Locals loitered about, chatting or playing around the fountain. I fingered my scarf, debating whether to raise it back up or not. Nobody seemed to take notice of my presence or even acknowledge the new stranger in their midst. Probably had plenty of strangers come around every day. I could blend in easily. Still, even if I did stick out with it, hiding my face was the safest option. Pulling my scarf over my nose, I followed the driver's directions to the castle.

The one thing I had forgotten about big cities since leaving Astapor were all the distractions. The shops were tempting and the smells wafting out of restaurants was tantalizing to my empty stomach. Certainly there would be no harm in indulging for a little while? It had been a long journey and I hadn't seen a hint of danger in this city.

My stomach made up my mind when I smelled fresh pies from a bakery. A little shopping and experiencing the local culture would do some good, I told myself and savored gorging myself on that culture in the display cases of the bakery.

* * *

Hours later, as the sun fell toward the horizon, I arrived at the castle gate, burdened with some new clothes in my pack and a full belly. Two stern guards stood at rigid attention on either side of the gate, at least twice my height and their halberds longer than that. "Excuse me," I asked and they both looked down. "Where can I enlist?"

One cracked a grin and glanced at his partner, amused at my question, and I fidgeted, kicking the back of my shoe. "At the barracks," the grinning soldier said. "Inside, to the right, just past the gardens. Ask for the lieutenant."

I thanked them and hurried inside.

Up close, the castle rose so high that I almost fell backwards gazing at the tip-top of its towers. The entire grounds were lavishly decorated with stone sculptures of past monarchs and bushes trimmed like animals. While I was in a hurry to reach the barracks, that didn't mean I couldn't stop and smell the roses and other flowers. After all, the tiled walkway meandered and circled through the garden, intentionally designed to guide pedestrians on a tour of the grounds on their way to their destination.

Rows and rows of colorful flowers and plants lined the walkway. Green thumbs had never been my specialty, but I could appreciate the vast assortment on display. What really caught my eye was an obelisk erected in what appeared to be a new addition to the garden, an area as quiet and somber area as a sanctuary. At its base, a plaque read _'Dedicated to the men and women who lost their lives combating the threat of Iblis, and the foreign hero who traveled far and sacrificed much to save us all.'_

No, not a sanctuary's somber atmosphere. A memorial's.

There was something off about the plaque and obelisk, something in the air that sent a cold shiver down my spine. I brushed it off as being reminded once again of what had occurred a year ago. I still saw those red, sightless eyes when I slept and every time I heard any large machine, I checked behind me, afraid I would find another weapon pointed at my back. There was nothing here. No need to be so jumpy. That logic didn't rid me of it.

The obelisk was surrounded by thin, low-hanging trees and dull, colorless flowers. Even the plant life respected this place and I took a moment to offer a silent prayer for the departed. I quickly left, glad to be rid of that strange sensation.

The barracks was tucked into the corner of the grounds, ringed with training dummies, archery fields, and sparring pits. Inside, all manner of soldiers were gathered, sitting at tables, polishing their weapons and armor, or just enjoying a meal. A couple looked me up and down and one wore the same grin at the gate guards. "Fresh meat," she muttered.

A large, gruff soldier at a table on the far end poured over scrolls and documents. His helmet lay at his elbow, exceptionally polished and overall a sleeker, stronger design than the other soldiers. Must be the lieutenant, I figured.

One table had a card game going on between three guards. "Hear that we might be deployed soon?" one said, taking a few cards from the deck as I passed.

"No, why's that?" another asked.

"I hear tell it's cause you-know-who is back and plans to attack some border towns."

A third traded in four of his cards to the deck. "You're full of it. Last week, you said Nega had some hidden underground factory."

"I don't know," the second soldier said. "Lots of travelers are saying they've seen ships near the mountains. Could be him." They squabbled over the validity of the rumors, but I paid them little mind, too busy running over my prepared answers once more for enlisting.

The lieutenant raised his eyes as I neared. "Yes?" he asked, writing a few notes on one document.

"I'd like to enlist, sir. I was told to speak to you about it."

He set down his quill and looked me over. "Really? Got any combat experience?"

"Yes, I can fight," I said. It wasn't technically a lie. I had to fight on my own here and there the past year.

"As Her Majesty's army, we only accept the best. What makes you think you're qualified?"

"Because I'll give my life in service of this country."

"Bold words. Then again, lately I've had a lot of bold, fresh-faced kids in here like you, claiming to want to die for country, then dropping out and wasting my time." He spat on the ground. "I don't need bodies to throw on the pyre. Got enough of those. What I need are capable warriors to make dead bodies, understand?" I nodded. "Whereabouts are you from?"

"Astapor."

"Funny," he said. "You don't have the accent. Which makes you just another drifter through that miserable town." He snorted. "You can fight. Right, from scraps with a few sailors? Go ahead and leave, save us both the trouble."

"No, I want to join! I want to do my duty!" I said, drawing a few eyes.

"I don't have time," the lieutenant said, returning to his papers. "Got a lot on my plate."

This wasn't supposed to happen. I had heard that the army took anybody capable and willing. There was one last card I could play. I didn't like it, but it was all I had.

I told the truth. "Alright, alright. I'm not from Astapor. I'm from Mammoth Mogul." The lieutenant furrowed his brows, concentrating to remember the vaguely familiar name. The same reaction everyone else gave and I already knew what the next would be. "It was a small village, destroyed by Nega last year. My family, friends, everyone was killed. As far as I know, I'm the only one to escape."

There was the eyebrows shooting up in recognition and a brief moment of sympathy. Then his face hardened again. "Well, there's no point in revenge. Nega is gone."

Not according to your soldiers. "I'm not looking for revenge, sir. I'm looking to keep it from happening again. Please, give me a chance. Whatever it takes, I'll do it."

He grunted and looked at me again, taking his time instead, which gave me a bit of hope. I hung onto every breath he made, waiting for the verdict. "You had better be ready to do more than talk about how much you want to give for this country."

"You mean—?"

"Go to the armory. It's on the other side of the grounds, north corner. The quartermaster will get you fixed up with a set of armor and a sword. Then I want you back here, on the double. Got that?"

My spirits soared and I saluted. "Yes, sir! Thank you, sir!"

He tore off a scrap of paper from a pile and scribbled a note. "Take this to the armory, so they know I sent you, Rookie. Now move it!"

I hopped to it and ran out into the evening, holding the note high above my head like a trophy. I had done it! It had been a long road here, but it was worth it. Now I just needed to live up to the lieutenant's expectations and do my part.

I was so caught up in my elation that I didn't pay attention to where I was going and wound up in the middle of the garden grounds. In the growing dark and fading red dusk, it was hard to see where I was going. Every pathway looked the same and I hadn't bothered to note any other buildings on my way to the barracks.

The sun quickly set and night took over completely, allowing a bit of a better view. There were few torches lit around the grounds and I stumbled in the dark, not wanting to draw notice to the lost, confused rookie. I considered creating my own light, but that would draw as much attention. So I followed the path of torches that had been lit thus far, letting them guide me through the garden.

An especially bright circle of torches surrounded the obelisk I visited earlier. I started to enter it, hoping to kill a few minutes until more torches were lit and I could get my bearings, when a voice within the memorial halted me. "Thought I would find you here."

A short koala in military armor greeted a taller woman. Judging by the high quality of his armor, I assumed he was on the same level as the lieutenant. Perhaps even higher, as his armor gleamed brighter in the torchlight and his veteran face belied many years of battle experience.

The woman beside him turned and I forgot how to breathe. She was stunning, outfitted in a flowing and lavish lavender dress and a silver, jewel-encrusted crown upon her brow. A royal of the castle, no doubt, whose very presence froze others in awe. But her golden eyes captured my attention the most. They were warm, yet distant, caring and despondent, her mind pulled in two different directions. She managed a brief smile for the koala, then returned to the obelisk.

"I miss him, too," he said.

"What news from your scouts?" she asked.

He frowned at her dodging his comment, but answered her. "Nothing concrete yet. A few robots is all. If Nega is out there, we'll find him."

"Good. Inform me the moment you have anything."

The koala's ears pricked up and he spun toward me, his hand flying to his sword in its scabbard. "Who's there?"

I quietly cursed myself for lingering too long and stepped out of the shadows. I realized that the torches were only part of the reason the memorial was so bright. The dull flowers that had been pathetic during the day now shimmered with a moonlight hue, their long, oval petals drooping and reflecting light on the memorial. "My apologies. I didn't mean to eavesdrop." I bowed, keeping my head low and pulling down my scarf so they could hear me. Certainly didn't want to disrespect a royal and someone higher than the lieutenant on my first night. "I was searching for the armory."

"Ah, a new recruit?" the koala asked. I nodded and he sheathed his sword, chuckling. "Good to see a fresh face around here. Come over her a moment. Let me get a good look at you."

I came into the light and the koala's pupils dilated and his limbs froze like he had been struck by lightning. He opened his mouth to speak and only a squeak came out. He licked his lips, tapped the royal's shoulder, and choked out in a hoarse whisper, "Y-Your Majesty. Look."

When her eyes fixed on me, a spark zipped between us, connecting me to her. I had never experienced such a sensation before. This link, not new, but resurfacing, as if I had known her for a long time.

She had the same reaction as the koala and I wondered if she had felt anything too. She inhaled sharply and said, "Silver?"

That caught me off-guard. Normally when people know my name these days, that's when it's time to run. My feet shifted, yet I remained there. Something told me I was safe in her presence. "Yes? Have we met?"

Several seconds passed when neither of them said anything. They stared and gawked at me like I had an extra head. This was too odd and the longer I stayed, the more awkward this became.

The koala recovered first and shook his head. "I'm sorry. You reminded us of someone we used to know. Took us by surprise," he said, playing it off with a laugh that was too high-pitched.

"Yes, surprise," the royal said, still not taking her eyes off me. She didn't unsettle me and seemed to be studying me, head to toe, taking me all in, a range of emotions dancing across her face, most of all wonder and elation.

"I'm Gardon, Captain of the Royal Guard," the koala introduced himself. "And this is Her Majesty, Princess Blaze."

Now it was my turn to gawk. "Your Majesty!" I dropped to one knee, paying more respect than before. "I didn't realize."

"It's quite alright," she said. "You may rise."

I slowly stood and Gardon pulled the Princess' ear aside, whispering to her. I caught snatches of "much younger" and "Your Majesty's age" and "how could it be" and "with Nega back, perhaps…?" between them.

Finally, the Princess cleared her throat. "So, Silver, I don't believe I have seen you around before. Where are you from?"

"Astapor," I said automatically, then remembered my encounter with the lieutenant. "But originally I was from Mammoth Mogul." Another round of silent conversation passed between the Princess and Gardon, both speaking with suggestive glances at each other.

"The village in the mountains?" she asked. "The one destroyed by Nega?"

"Yes," I said. I had been prepared to explain, but she nailed it exactly. "Most people don't remember it."

"We keep track of all our people, no matter how large or small the village. We tried to reach your village in time to prevent its destruction," she said. "However, by the time we found out what Nega was up to, it was too late. I'm sorry for your loss."

There was an aura about her that genuinely was concerned with the wellbeing of her people and their fate. Something rare that I had found in my travels most rich people lacked. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

"If you don't mind me asking," Gardon said, "how did you escape? We didn't find anyone from the village."

"My parents," I said, shuddering at the memory. "They sent me away as Nega's robots approached. They promised they would be right behind me, but…" I sighed and shook my head. "I'm sorry. I don't talk about it often."

"That's okay." The Princess offered one of the stone benches to me. "Why don't you take a seat?"

"Thank you." I sat down and collected myself. I didn't want to continue, but this was the Princess. I couldn't refuse her. "The long and short of it is that several of us escaped. I got separated and wound up by myself." The more I talked, the faster the words tumbled out. "I don't know if anyone else made it, but I've had robots tracking me from the mountains to Astapor to here. Even after their master died, they wouldn't leave me alone. Haven't seen any in a while, so maybe they stopped." Or they're lulling me into a false sense of security.

"Astapor?" Gardon asked. "The port town?"

"Yes. My parents had been considering moving there. It was as good a place as any to lay low for a while."

Their faces broke into understanding, my answer satisfying some important question they had. "How did you survive then?" she asked.

"Um," I looked at my hand, "I'm able to handle myself."

"Really?" The Princess crouched down, holding out her open palm. There was nothing immediately apparent about it, beside a spotless white glove and a delicate hand that I had the urge to hold. Then fire popped out of her palm and I hopped out of my seat, shielding the fire in a teal orb.

"What-What was that?" I asked.

She held the orb in her hand and smiled, her eyes shining and twinkling. With tears? She nodded at Gardon, confirming something between them. "You weren't kidding," she said, truly impressed by my ability. "Is there anything else you can do?"

"A few things," I said sheepish of her admiring look and digging my toes into the stone pathway's cracks.

"And you joined the army to, what? Get away from those robots?" Gardon asked.

"No," I said. "It's not like that. If they show up, I'll deal with them. I came to do my duty and keep people like Nega from hurting anyone in this kingdom again."

Gardon clasped his hands behind his back and smiled. "Well said, wouldn't you agree, Your Majesty?"

"Yes," she said. "But you won't face them alone. Any enemy of yours is an enemy of this kingdom now." The flame inside the orb vanished and I subsequently snuffed my orb out of existence. "Although I believe your abilities could be put to better use than in the army. Gardon?"

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

She fixed me with a knowing grin. "See to it that this new recruit is enlisted as part of the Royal Guard. I expect him to be able to serve as a personal bodyguard for the throne."

Gardon saluted. "Of course, Your Majesty." He snapped his fingers at me and ordered me to follow. "Let's get you to the armory and then see the lieutenant."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," I said.

She leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Good luck, Silver." My spine tingled and my soul danced merrily hearing my name on her lips. I didn't know why and she swept away into the night, leaving me giddy as a child.

"Um, I appreciate the Princess' offer," I said, lowering my voice once Gardon and I left the memorial, "but I want to be on the frontlines, not lingering in the castle."

Gardon laughed good and hard. "Son, you haven't heard about our Princess, have you?" I admitted that I hadn't, but I didn't see why that should make a difference. "You'll get plenty of frontline action protecting the Princess. Let's get you fixed up with some armor and I'll tell you a tale or two."

Rather than argue, I trusted him. I'm not sure why, but I could sense there was truth to his words. If that was case, I couldn't wait for what came next. And, privately, I couldn't wait to see the Princess again. I wouldn't mind guarding and fighting for her at all. I only hoped I did well enough to be by her side for a long time.

 **A/N:**

 **Pen:** You cheating, little s—

 **Sword:** Swell person, you! *throws confetti and plasters Silver/Blaze pictures everywhere*

Like we had said, we intended for this to have a somewhat happy ending. So what did you all think? Please let us know and thank you, thank you, thank you for sticking with us throughout all of this. We appreciate it so much and you all are what make writing these stories worth it.

 **Sword:** Cause who's awesome! You people are awesome!

 **Young Sword and Young Pen:** Bye.

Oops, better take care of them before there's a paradox. See you later!


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